SEC News: LSU to Hire Notre Dame's Brian Kelly, Jimbo Fisher Keeps A&M Word
Well, Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher isn't the "stupidest man" on earth after all.
As first reported by The Athletic's Bruce Feldman and later confirmed by Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde, LSU will hire Notre Dame's Brian Kelly as its next head coach. The announcement is expected to be made on Tuesday afternoon.
Kelly, who was hired by Notre Dame from Cincinnati in 2010, has become one of college football's finest over the past decade. This past season, Kelly became the all-time leader in program history with 113 wins.
This season, the Irish are right in the midst of the College Football Playoff hunt at 11-1, Expected to be as high as No. 5 in the CFP on Tuesday night. Should upsets happen this weekend in conference championships, the Irish could return to the CFP for the third time in four years.
Kelly checks all the boxes in the sense of what the Tigers are looking for. Since his arrival in South Bend, the Irish have tallied five 10-plus win seasons and been ranked inside the top 10 of the AP Poll four times. From a recruiting aspect, even with the stipulations found at the school, Notre Dame consistently has found itself in the top 10.
LSU has been on the hunt for its next head coach since the firing of Ed Orgeron in October. In five seasons with the program, Orgeron went 51-20. He led the program to a perfect 15-0 season and a national championship in 2019 but went 11-11 over his final two seasons.
Kelly is 113-40 overall at Notre Dame with two College Football Playoff berths and an appearance in the 2013 BCS Championship Game.
LSU athletic director Scott Woodward's first phone call when Ogereon was fired was expected to be to Fisher. Fisher, who was coaxed by Woodward during his time at Texas A&M to leave Tallahassee to come to College Station, told reporters he'd be "stupid" to leave this offseason for an SEC West rival with a chance at the No. 1 recruiting class in 2022.
"We’re going to recruit a heck of a class," Fisher said earlier this month. "We’re going to have special things here. We’re building special things. They’re investing in the program. They’re investing in everything we’ve got. We’re building a culture.
"I want to be at A&M. I plan on being at A&M. I ain’t going nowhere. I don’t want to go nowhere else. I love being right here. Is that clear enough?”
The Aggies finished 8-4 on the season following a 9-1 record in 2020. Since arriving in Aggieland, Fisher is 34-14.
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