<p>It's been a long wait for a 22-year coaching veteran and a loyal Notre Dame aide, but Sean Kearney now has his own program to run.</p>
<p>The Notre Dame associate head coach has been hired as Holy Cross' new head coach, and one intimately interested observer declared that the hand-in-glove fit validated Kearney's patience.</p>
<p>"There are great institutional fits -- this has to be one of the all-time great institutional fits," said Irish coach Mike Brey, for whom Kearney worked since 1995. "He was involved with Bucknell last year and was very disappointed that didn't go further. When this one popped, I said, this is even a better fit.</p>
<p>"I think it's a comfortable transition, given their mission, Notre Dame's mission, the academic pool of kids. He gets it. He knows it."</p>
<p>Notre</a> Dame assistant Sean Kearney gets Holy Cross job | Around the Bend</p>