The team was coached by Brian Kelly and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

Despite the disappointing season, athletic director Jack Swarbrick found the 2016 Irish to be a remarkable bunch, citing the team's "enthusiasm" and "willingness to practice".

Kelly said, "I have the utmost respect for Brian as both a person and football coach, but our defense simply isn't where it should be and I believe this change is necessary for the best interest of our program and our student-athletes.

[2] Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame coaching staff accepted 23 commitments for the 2016 recruiting cycle, including two 5-stars: Daelin Hayes and Tommy Kraemer.

The Notre Dame vs NC State game was played during Hurricane Matthew[4] where the two teams combined for only 311 total yards.