Brian Kelly, head coach of the LSU Tigers, just signed his resignation papers after it was confirmed that…
Though he didn’t plan to leave Notre Dame before the season began, Brian Kelly said on Wednesday that he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to become LSU’s head coach.
Unexpectedly, LSU revealed on Tuesday that Kelly has agreed to a 10-year, $95 million deal.
Kelly is the most successful head coach in program history at Notre Dame, having led the team to 113 victories over 12 seasons (counting victories that were tallied).
“I had no intention of looking for another position as I started the 2021 season,” Kelly told reporters during his press conference in Baton Rouge. “We were creating a wonderful football program under my leadership, but it’s exciting to see the kind of vision that LSU athletic director Scott Woodward has for you when you have the opportunity to speak with him and he lays out a clear strategy and opportunity.” When I got the chance to talk to more individuals about this option, I felt like I had to take advantage of it.
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Two years after Rittenberg, Adam Kelly announced his resignation on Monday. He told the players he wanted to “get in front of them” and tell them straight during a team meeting the next morning.
Kelly said that because of his love for his former colleagues, attending LSU was not an easy decision for him.
“We did our best, but it’s never easy to leave,” he said.
Kelly claims that Notre Dame, which is 11-1 and ranked sixth in the nation, “deserves to be in the postseason.”
He made it clear that his former assistants were still employed and had more work ahead of them, even though he expressed interest in taking some of them to Baton Rouge.
He said, “We’ll have to go through that process.” “There are squads to coach on both sides.”
According to Woodward’s announcement on Wednesday, LSU, which finished the regular season with a 6-6 record, plans to participate in a bowl game.
The present plan calls for offensive line coach Brad Davis to act as the interim head coach through the bowl game; Kelly said he and Woodward had not discussed it. Kelly called the discussion “open.”
Ed Orgeron, who coached LSU for five complete seasons before being fired in mid-October, has resigned, and Kelly will take over as head coach.
The Tigers have finished 11-11 in the two seasons since Orgeron led them to a national championship in 2019. $16.9 million is payable to Orgeron for his buyout.
President William F. Tate IV described Kelly’s appointment as “a momentous time for Louisiana State University.”
Woodward expressed confidence that Kelly’s “winning days are just getting started” after their encounter.
“We have the same plans as him to develop this endeavor,” he said. “His objective is not to achieve success. That is what he is here to do. He agrees with our goal for the future of LSU football. He is not merely here to fit in with our lifestyle. His intention is to alter it. Most importantly, we both anticipate the same things from him in terms of LSU football. He’s not only here to win. His goal is to win championships.
Kelly underlined that the alignment between the university president, the athletic director, and lower management is what drew him to LSU. Kelly has spent his whole coaching career working in the Midwest.
“I came down here because I wanted to be with the greatest,” he said. “These are top-notch resources. The stage was set by alignment, quality, and the expectation of excellence. Listen to me: You are measured in championships here. That is what I want. It has the brilliant brightness that I would want. Being a Broadway performer is my dream. That’s what interests me. That’s definitely part of the appeal, no doubt.
