Brian Kelly announced he would never leave Notre Dame a week before leaving for LSU
When Brian Kelly was asked on November 22 if he would ever leave Notre Dame for another school, he insisted he wouldn’t.
Indeed, Kelly went so far as to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin . channel when told why he didn’t leave Notre Dame for anything short of a “fairy godmother” came in with a check for $250 million – he could then ask his wife.
Brian Kelly asked if he would ever leave Notre Dame, other than retiring: “No. I mean, look, I think Mike Tomlin has the best lines, right? Unless that fairy godmother comes along with that $250 million check, my wife will want to see it first. I will have to run it by her. “
– Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 22, 2021
THAN: Why Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU
Ironically, Kelly is reportedly going to LSU to take over as head coach from Ed Orgeron, just a week after saying he won’t be leaving Fighting Irish for another show.
Kelly initially made the offer when asked if he would leave Notre Dame for the USC position, which is filled out by Lincoln Riley on Sunday. It’s not the first time Kelly has said he’s ending his career at Notre Dame, as exemplified in a 2020 interview with Brett McMurphy and Matt Hayes:
Last year when I was at the stadium, @MattHayesCFB& I interviewed Brian Kelly and asked him if he would end his career at Notre Dame. He said he would. “This is where I want to be,” Kelly said pic.twitter.com/7Q82dEoj2G
– Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 30, 2021
Kelly’s name had been up in LSU discussions for some time, but there had never been any serious talks until Monday. The Athletic was first reported that LSU was “actively promoting” Kelly, and then Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports announced that the move will be officially implemented on Tuesday.
THAN: Lincoln Riley says talks with USC began after Oklahoma’s loss in Bedlam
Source: LSU is expected to hire Brian Kelly of Notre Dame as the school’s next head coach. An announcement could come as early as tomorrow.
– Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 30, 2021
Whether LSU will provide Kelly with a check for $250 million is unknown, although it is entirely possible. Under Kelly’s current contract at Notre Dame, he will continue to coach until 2024. The exact salary of his contract at Notre Dame is unknown as the school is private.
According to Matt Fortuna of The Athletic, who sent the original tweet with Kelly’s comment, Notre Dame coaches, administrators, and promoters were all shocked by the news. Apparently none of them saw it coming.
THAN: College football training carousel
The details of Kelly’s move to LSU are still being developed. Kelly or LSU have yet to issue an official statement and contract details have yet to be released.
That said, The Athletic’s Matt Fortuna reports that the Tigers have offered a 10-year contract and “north of $100 million” with incentives.
LSU’s offer for Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is a 10-year deal that will set him north of $100 million with incentives, sources say @BrodyAMiller and me.
– Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 30, 2021