By Skeeter Smith
LSU head coach Brian Kelly has been making headlines this week as his former team, Notre Dame, prepares to play for a national championship. Kelly, who coached the Fighting Irish from 2010 to 2021, hasn’t hidden his support for his old program.
“I’m happy for all those guys; I pull for them,” Kelly said in an interview with CBS Sports. “A lot of the guys there on both sides of the ball, I recruited. Obviously, I want to see those guys win it all, and I think they’re in a great position. Totally excited for those guys.”
However, Kelly’s comments have drawn criticism, with many pointing out the irony of his departure from Notre Dame in pursuit of what he described as a “better opportunity.” Upon accepting the LSU job, Kelly was quoted saying, “I want to be in an environment where I have the resources to win a national championship.” This week, Kelly pushed back against that narrative, clarifying, “I wasn’t leaving Notre Dame because I couldn’t win a championship. You can win championships at Notre Dame, but I chose another path because I wanted a different challenge.”
Post-Kelly For Notre Dame
It’s tempting to compare Kelly’s struggles at LSU so far to Notre Dame’s success under Marcus Freeman, but in the long run, the split looks like it will benefit both sides.
For Notre Dame, this season has already made that clear. Marcus Freeman has more than proven his ability to pick up where Kelly left off and take the program to new heights. Freeman has improved Notre Dame’s record each year as head coach and now has them competing in the national championship game on Monday. Without Kelly’s departure, Freeman might never have gotten his shot as Notre Dame’s head coach and could have left the school in pursuit of a promotion elsewhere.
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Brian Kelly in Baton Rouge
As for Kelly, while LSU’s on-field results haven’t yet lived up to expectations, the off-field changes are starting to reflect the “resources” he spoke of. In 11 years at Notre Dame, Kelly’s recruiting classes cracked the top 10 just four times. He’s already matched that number in just his fourth year at LSU. Kelly has also capitalized on the transfer portal, bringing in game-changers like Jayden Daniels, Kyren Lacy, and Mekhi Wingo. This cycle, LSU’s transfer portal class is ranked No. 1.
Kelly and LSU’s influence isn’t limited to recruiting, it extends to coaching staff moves as well. Last offseason, LSU was able to lure highly sought-after defensive coordinator Blake Baker from a Missouri team that went 11-2 the previous season. Another example of the resources Kelly now has at his disposal.
The reality is that both Notre Dame and Kelly needed this change to truly flourish. Under Kelly, the Fighting Irish seemed to hit their ceiling, a consistently strong program but one that didn’t feel like a true title contender. The Freeman regime has given Notre Dame a new culture, allowing the program to reach new heights.
For Kelly, the results at LSU aren’t there yet, but the foundation he’s building suggests the program is moving in the right direction. Both Notre Dame and Brian Kelly are better positioned now than they were before the breakup and that’s a win for everyone involved.
