Brian Kelly gives definitive answer on future at LSU, potential retirement

Brian Kelly is in his first year as the head coach at LSU, but this also marks his 31st as a college head coach. As he gears up to face 71-year-old Nick Saban this week, Kelly faced a question from Paul Finebaum about how much he has left in the tank — and it doesn’t sound like he’s going anywhere.

Kelly, 61, joined The Paul Finebaum Show Wednesday ahead of LSU vs. Alabama and put a timeline on how much longer he’ll coach. After he spent years at Notre Dame, he said he’s found a fit for Baton Rouge at this point in his career, and he wants to stay on the sideline as long as he can.

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“I think I’m of a similar philosophy now than maybe I was earlier in my career that I think health really drives it,” Kelly said. “If you love what you’re doing — and I love this job at LSU. I love the administration, I love working for Scott [Woodward], I love the people I’m around and the fan base.

“It’s, for me, what I’ve been looking for in my career. That energizes me, and I have so much to give to these young men on a day to day basis. If my health is good and they still want me back here each and every year, I’m going to keep showing up to work.”

Brian Kelly speculates when Nick Saban could potentially retire from college football

Earlier this week, Alabama head coach Nick Saban turned 71 years old. He’s the oldest coach in the SEC, and he’s gearing up to face another experienced coach this weekend in LSU headman Brian Kelly — who made sure to remind Saban about their age difference.

Given his age, questions continue to pop up about when Saban will eventually retire from coaching even though he’s said he hasn’t thought about it. Kelly takes Saban at his word and is preparing to face the legendary Alabama coach for the foreseeable future.

“People ask me all the time, ‘When do you think Nick Saban’s going to retire?’ I don’t think he’s going to retire,” Kelly said. “I think if Nick Saban’s health is good — and, listen, I don’t have any inside information — but if his health is good and he can continue to do the things that he loves to do, he’s going to be coaching football for a lot longer.”