Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly on expectations: ‘We know where the bar is’

Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly met with the media Monday, expressing his disappointment about the team’s 4-8 record in 2016 but voicing optimism about the upcoming season. The Irish open at home Sept. 2 against Temple.

‘‘I let our team down by not focusing on those very important values of process rather than production,’’ Kelly said of last season. ‘‘We have a lot of work to do. It’s going to be hard, but we’re in a good place.’’

Kelly reiterated Notre Dame’s commitment and mission is to graduate its players and win a national championship.

‘‘We know where the bar is,’’ Kelly said.

Kelly overhauled his coaching staff during the offseason, bringing in Chip Long as offensive coordinator, Mike Elko as defensive coordinator, Brian Polian as special-teams coordinator and Matt Balis as strength and conditioning coach. He said last season was a learning experience for him.

‘‘You’re in a different place,’’ he said. ‘‘For me, there was a lot of growth after 26 years. I got a great amount of feedback to put our team in a position to where they are now. . . . I think I’ve made some changes, from my perspective, that have strengthened me.’’

But don’t look for a kinder, gentler coach. Kelly said that the three- or five-second outbursts TV cameras might show during games don’t reflect his daily behavior and that he’s not looking to change.

‘‘TV does what TV does,’’ he said. ‘‘I am going to be who I am.’’

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Email: jsilver@suntimes.com