Notre Dame's Brian Kelly explains why he shoved assistant coach

PHILADELPHIA — A physical altercation between Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly and an assistant coach caught by ESPN broadcast cameras during the Irish's win against Temple was a result of Kelly's attempts to "control the sideline," he said in his postgame news conference.

Cameras pointed at the sideline showed Kelly rush toward assistant strength and conditioning coach David Grimes, a former Notre Dame wide receiver from 2005-08, and grab the upper section of his jacket, shoving him away from a referee.

"David was going to get us a 15-yard penalty," Kelly said. "I wasn't going to let that happen. He got a little too close and I backed him out of the way."

The two were separated by another Notre Dame staffer and senior defensive tackle Sheldon Day, who hugged Grimes and moved him back toward the benches behind the Irish sideline.

Grimes spent two seasons in NFL training camps before returning to the program in 2011 as an intern in the player development department. He's been an assistant on the Notre Dame strength and conditioning staff since 2012.