Nick Saban provides thoughts on Brian Kelly joining LSU, SEC

It’s been nearly two decades since Nick Saban has prowled the sidelines at LSU. Since his departure after the 2004 season, the Tigers are now on their third head coach, Brian Kelly. And during the 2022 SEC Football media day, the Alabama Crimson Tide headman gave his thoughts on LSU’s new head coach.

“Brian Kelly is an outstanding coach, a really good person,” said Saban. “We played Notre Dame a couple of times in the playoffs at Alabama, and their teams were always extremely well coached. Very competitive, had the right kind of mindset in terms of how they went out there and performed and how they played. Very disciplined in terms of how they went out and executed. So, I have the utmost respect for Brian Kelly and the job that he’ll do at LSU.”

Notre Dame got to the BCS National Championship in 2012 only to get beat by Alabama 42-14. They’d rematch in the Rose Bowl during the 2020 College Football Playoff where Nick Saban once again won 31-14. With the Tigers, Kelly will get a clean slate and get to face Saban and Alabama year in and out. However, it’s not just beating the Crimson Tide that should be on his mind. Kelly faces some lofty expectations at LSU. Including Saban, each of the Tigers past three coaches has led them to a national championship. But with Kelly’s ability to implement a system and culture in his football programs, he will likely find himself next in line to bring home a national championship to the state of Louisiana.

Kelly hoping for different outcome than first year at Notre Dame

When Brian Kelly took over at Notre Dame in 2010, the Fighting Irish got off to a slow start before finishing 8-5. Now at LSU, he’s hoping to avoid a similar season in his first season with the Tigers.

The quarterback situation was an interesting part of that season in South Bend. Dayne Crist had the most experience coming back, but newcomer Tommy Rees was the new starter and the offensive line had fresh faces, as well. Kelly could be in for a similar situation at LSU as he rebuilds the offensive line and decides who the quarterback will be in his new system.

But at SEC Media Days on Monday, Kelly declared the situation at LSU is better than the one he had as he got rolling at Notre Dame.

“The spring really was for us to lay down our offense,” Kelly said. “We weren’t really going to gear it towards any particular skill set. I feel much better about the depth in the quarterback situation. Dayne [Crist] was really the only quarterback that had any experience [in 2010]. We [were] young and inexperienced at that position.