Brian Kelly Goes Into Detail on Surprising Decision to Leave Notre Dame for LSU

Brian Kelly’s sudden leap from Notre Dame to Baton Rogue left the college football world stunned last fall. What happened that pushed the head coach from leaving the Fighting Irish after 12 years?

In an interview with The Associated Press, Kelly revealed some of the reasons he felt like the move to the SEC was the right one.

Although Kelly had a successful career in South Bend, a national championship ring has alluded him. He told AP he and his wife were prepared to stay at Notre Dame for the remainder of his career, building their “forever home” a few blocks from campus.

However, he made requests via his representatives for more resources for the athletes, calling for improvements. He told AP, “I felt like that what I was looking for was student-athlete centered. And I was pushing for more for the student-athlete. And I wanted to see that piece. And we didn’t seem to be on the same path as to how that was going to get accomplished.”

One thing Kelly was pushing for was a chef for the football team and a facility to replace the Guglielmino Athletics Complex, which does not have a dining hall. An anonymous source confirmed to AP that the school approved the chef; however, how quickly a new facility would be built “remains unsettled,” per AP.

“It’s been awesome because you’ve got incredible facilities, you’ve got players that want to be great,” Kelly told AP. “I want to be in an environment where I have the resources to win a national championship. And I came down here because I want to be in the American League East.”

Kelly’s departure was not the only one that left the college football world stunned. Last season’s coaching carousel saw changes at USC, Oklahoma, Florida, Miami and Oregon. Lincoln Riley left the Sooners for the Trojans; Dan Mullen got the boot from the Gators and Louisiana coach Billy Napier headed for Florida; the Hurricanes openly searched for their next coach (Mario Cristobal) with Many Diaz still on staff.  

Rosenberg: Brian Kelly’s Brusque Exit Is More of the Same From Him

Between his yearly salary and bonuses, Kelly will be the highest paid coach at a public university, per contract details previously obtained by Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger. His yearly salary starts at $9 million in 2022, increasing to $9.2 million the following year and $200,000 every two years after that (2025, 2027, 2029) before reaching $10M in 2031.

Kelly will also receive a $500,000 “longevity bonus” each July of the contract year, and another $500,000 bonus each season when LSU is bowl eligible. For reference, the program had made it to a bowl for 20 straight seasons prior to last year’s campaign. 

The 60-year-old joined the Tigers after posting a 92–32 record at Notre Dame over the last 12 seasons. He reached the College Football Playoff in 2018 and 2020, and he tallied 11 wins in 2021.

Kelly briefly met with Notre Dame players the morning of Nov. 30 after reportedly texting the team on the evening of Nov. 29 regarding his departure. According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Kelly met with the team for 11 minutes, while The Athletic's Pete Sampson later reported that the meeting was closer to two minutes and that Kelly didn't stop to take questions from players.

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