The elite coaches in college football paved their way to the positions they currently hold by way of a solid football identity.

Whether it be a non-traditional defense or a quirky offense, each of the nation's best coaches have a signature coaching philosophy. Such is the case with Brian Kelly.

Upon taking the job at Notre Dame, fans knew that Kelly had achieved tremendous success at Central Michigan and Cincinnati because of his high-powered offenses at each institution.

There's no question that the foundation of those offenses was the passing game. While at Cincinnati, it was common for Brian Kelly to move the ball through the air in order to win. Thus, Notre Dame fans expected to see a pass-happy offense.

However, that hasn't happened in his two seasons on the job, and for good reason.

Kelly knows that in order to win at a school like Notre Dame, airing it out to win football games simply won't work. He was also aware that the phrase "defense wins championships" is true. Because he was cognizant of those facts, Kelly made the necessary adjustments to his philosophy as a head coach.

The current season is a prime example of those adjustments.

Kelly and his staff have been primarily a run-first team through 11 games this season. If Jonas Gray hadn't gone down with a torn ACL last week, the Irish would have had two running backs eclipse the 1,000-yard mark. Raise your hand if you thought that was possible in the spread offense.

Without that dominant rushing attack, the Irish would likely be a .500 club at the current moment. Yet, Brian Kelly is showing that he's willing to tweak his strategies to suit the strengths of his personnel.

The emphasis on the ground game isn't the only example of Kelly's wise adjustments. During Kelly's job interview, athletic director Jack Swarbrick was clear that a stingy defense was critical to Notre Dame's BCS aspirations. 

Kelly certainly got the message loud and clear.

In the previous recruiting cycle, Kelly and his staff hit the trail hard, and were able to reel in the best defensive class in recent memory. Five-star defensive ends Stephon Tuitt and Aaron Lynch, as well as 5-star outside linebacker Ishaq Williams, each committed to Notre Dame.

Both Tuitt and Lynch have been cornerstones of a strong Irish defense this season. It's fair to say that each of those players have elevated the unit to the next level.

With continued success in the running game and on defense, Kelly's squad will become a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.