LSU expected to hire Brian Kelly as next head coach

LSU is expected to hire Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly as its next head coach. The news comes as the latest shock to the college football world and just a mere day after USC hired Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma.

“LSU is expecting to hire Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly as the school’s next head coach,” Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel tweeted on Monday night. “An announcement could come as early as tomorrow.” On3’s Matt Zenitz confirmed shortly thereafter.

Kelly has been the head coach for the Fighting Irish for 12 seasons, turning them into a constant in the College Football Playoff conversation. He’s been to two playoff semifinals and appeared in the 2012 national championship. There has been nothing but consistency at Notre Dame with Kelly, winning at least 10 games over the past five years.

With his arrival in the Bayou, LSU takes over for a program that fired head coach Ed Orgeron less than two seasons after winning a national championship.

LSU finished the regular season 6-6 with a 3-5 record in the SEC. Orgeron announced after his final game with the Tigers this past weekend he will not be coaching in the bowl game.

For Kelly, the news comes amidst an 11-1 season and on the brink of a berth in the College Football Playoff. If the Fighting Irish do make the playoff, Kelly will be the first head coach to be in the playoff while also taking a new head coaching job.

Before Notre Dame, Kelly was at Cincinnati, where he went 34-6 overall. He has never coached south of the Mason-Dixon line.

What Brian Kelly walks into at LSU

Kelly has a 92-39 overall record during his time at Notre Dame. Facilities and the inability to truly compete for national championships are two factors to consider in why he is making the move.

With the move to LSU, Kelly has a backyard filled with talent in Louisiana. There is also a track record that head coaches can win early with the Tigers — Ed Orgeron brought a title in just four seasons.

A handful of LSU players have entered the transfer portal in recent weeks, including cornerback Eli Ricks. The former five-star recruit missed the season-opener, then played in the next five games until he was ruled out for the season with an injury.

LSU’s downfall this season was also due to a myriad of injuries. If Kelly can keep players like Kayshon Boutte and Sage Ryan in Baton Rouge, the Tigers can contend in the SEC next season.

Stay tuned for more on this breaking story.