Brian Kelly cares about two things when it comes to LSU football

Brian Kelly has been in the headlines often since taking the reigns as the new LSU football coach, and it’s rarely been positive.

Instead, Kelly’s statements, actions and public remarks since taking over have been almost bizarre at times, like seemingly changing his accent in an apparent attempt to appeal to the southern LSU fan base and doubling down with a strange response when questioned about it.

Regardless, only time will tell if he’s the coach to make LSU into a perennial winner in the loaded SEC.

While joining the broadcast booth during the Texas Bowl, the new LSU front man said his vision for the program comes down to exactly two things.

“This is about graduating from LSU and playing for championships,” Kelly said. “And that’s why I’m in the business. And the alignment of the university towards that end, it’s really what pushed me towards this position.”

Kelly elaborated on his plan for fully immersing himself in the community.

“On doing what it takes —-Well look, at the end of the day, this is about, for me, I want to be a part of this community,” Kelly added. “I want to be a part of Louisiana. I’m originally from the Midwest and East Coast and so I want to really immerse myself in Louisiana and this community and I’m so excited to be down here in Baton Rouge. They’ve treated us great. It’s about family.”

For now, Kelly must hire a staff that understands the recruiting landscape in the SEC. LSU is a premier brand in college football and already has a roster with top-tier talent.

The new LSU front man added that his new staff will be pivotal in finding talent to add to the foundation he inherited.

“Absolutely, I think the staff is going to be one that can recruit, as I mentioned, the state of Louisiana but you know we’re going to have to go outside a little bit,” stated Kelly. “Houston is going to be a great recruiting area for us. But we’ll have to go outside the state a little bit in certain areas as well.”

As of now, the most pressing issue is at quarterback after Max Johnson — who started for LSU the last two seasons — entered the transfer portal shortly after Kelly’s arrival.

Will Brian Kelly jump into a great situation with all the resources, history, recent success and ability to land the nation’s best talent and thrive immediately? It will be a fun ride, to say the least.