by Kyle Golik
Brian Kelly didn’t mince any words when he abruptly left a Notre Dame team that was just days away from competing in the Fiesta Bowl to take the LSU job. Kelly, whose resume is nearly complete with feats and achievements at all levels of college football, was missing a FBS national championship.
“I want to be in an environment where I have the resources to win a national championship.”
That seemed to be a direct shot at the administrators at Notre Dame, where Kelly became the program’s all-time winningest coach but could never win a national championship. The closest Kelly came was in 2012, where the Irish went undefeated but seemingly didn’t belong on the same field as Alabama, who routed the Irish 42-14 leaving even Lou Holtz in shock after the game and Mark May not even having the heart to poke at the Irish misfortune.
Upon Kelly’s departure, many around South Bend felt the program needed a change. Kelly had reached his personal ceiling with feelings of discontent beginning to percolate, it was almost welcomed instead of feeling jilted at the altar. One such piece of evidence is the way Notre Dame introduced Marcus Freeman to their team. The emotions and excitement were off the charts for both sides and they eventually became one.
I was on record in a column back in 2023 stating Kelly was the No. 1 head coach most likely to win a national championship in the next five years.
Kelly and LSU were fresh off an SEC Championship Game appearance, as well as knocking off Alabama in Baton Rouge.
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I wrote then:
Kelly made Notre Dame relevant once again. But he realized those difference makers that make you flirt with national championship aspirations and actually become a national champion were two different things. And he wasn’t going to be able to get that done in South Bend. That is why he went to LSU. To be a national champion. And I’m willing to bet that happens.
What I didn’t bet on was Kelly really showing his tiger stripes: the glaring misses in big games, recruiting shortfalls, and just unhinged moments were really systemic to Brian Kelly and not to Notre Dame.
Freeman, who I did not have in my Top 5, is not only upstaging Kelly but has a chance to put an ultimate nail in the coffin, killing really any future comparisons. Since Freeman took over for Kelly, he has a record of 14-5 against Top 25 teams and has already eclipsed his Top 10 win total (5) in three seasons, compared to Kelly’s 4 in twelve years in South Bend.
In contrast Kelly is 4-8 against FBS Top 25 teams. During his time at Notre Dame went winless against Top 10 teams in bowl games, whereas Freeman has defeated three Top 10 ranked opponents this postseason. Freeman’s three New Year’s Six/College Football Playoff major postseason wins are the most by any Notre Dame coach since Lou Holtz, who had five in his 11 seasons in South Bend.
If Notre Dame comes up short against Ohio State, many will point to the fact that Kelly did guide Notre Dame to a national championship appearance as well in his third season and had tremendous success, there is no denying that. What you cannot deny about Freeman is that he has elevated the program and debunked the myth that it is impossible to win big at Notre Dame.
I would even argue that Freeman’s road to his national championship appearance may have been the hardest of any Notre Dame coach, having to win three postseason games: first taking on college football’s story of the year in Indiana, then facing SEC Champion Georgia who were without their starting quarterback amidst the chaos of the terrorist attack in New Orleans, and finally taking on Penn State in a classic on South Beach, capitalizing on a late turnover for a game destined to go to overtime.
Kelly now faces rising temperatures on his seat, not because of Notre Dame’s success but due to his inability to win the big game. Freeman has proven with his aggressive recruiting style and by keeping Notre Dame poised that all their goals are within reach as long as they take care of business.
What Freeman continues to demonstrate is that he is in an environment capable of producing a national championship. It was Kelly’s inability to put it together that prevented him from achieve that goal, something Notre Dame realized and never lost an ounce of sleep over. Freeman is the face of the Notre Dame program and projects the ability to achieve anything because he already has in his time.
