Seems like the kind of guy players would want to play for, which is a pretty dangerous combination in Cincinnati and southern Ohio. What he did last year was pretty remarkable and what’s happening this year, despite considerable upheaval at the quarterback position, is perhaps more remarkable. From what I’ve seen and read and heard, he doesn’t back away from anything, doesn’t pretend problems don’t exist and doesn’t mind being honest.

Last year, when the Michigan job came open and he was asked about it as his name was bandied about, he said he’s be interested, basically because it’s Michigan and he rather enjoyed his time as the Central Michigan coach. Asked if Saturday’s game against WVU was his biggest yet, he paused to think for a moment: “OK, yeah.”

“There’s no question, since we came to training camp, we told our kids the championship goes through Morgantown, West Virginia,” Kelly said Monday, “and you’ve got to go there and beat them. Our kids understand the importance of the football game.”

Again, it’d be a big, big thing for U.C. to keep Kelly, but he’s really good coach who’s won national championships with a dominant team at the Division II level, won big and quick at CMU and is winning and building something big at U.C. As such, his name is going to pop up again and again and given his individualized version of the spread and brilliance with quarterbacks, he’ll be on the wish lists for top jobs.

Tulsa’s Todd Graham and Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly have been mentioned.

If it comes to that, I favor Kelly. Michigan dismissed him out of hand because he had once coached at Central Michigan. Bad move. Tennessee shouldn’t be limiting itself. That includes at least a courtesy call to Steve Spurrier to see if he is interested.

After the laughing dies down, Spurrier might give Hamilton a couple of names.

Kelly, though, is the no-nonsense type who has won a Division II national championship and been able to succeed at two non-descript mid-majors (Central Michigan and Cincinnati).

Tennessee is a destination job. After being at three schools in six years, Kelly could retire in Knoxville. One other thing: Kelly knows how to develop quarterbacks.