Refreshed Brian Kelly has Paul Finebaum feeling good about LSU in 2022

Brian Kelly had spent his entire coaching career in the midwest, beginning at Grand Valley State. Central Michigan, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame all were considered home for a while before Kelly made the shocking decision to accept the LSU job. He would be heading down south and competing with the best of the best in the SEC.

While the move could be considered a risky one, ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum is seeing a new side of Kelly since arriving in Baton Rouge. He compared the new, refreshed mentality from Kelly to getting married later in life and finally being happy. Finebaum then went on to explain why LSU was the destination for the former Notre Dame head coach and what his goals are.

“I don’t have experience with this so I will use my friends as an example,” Finebaum began. “Brian Kelly reminds me of that 60-year-old guy who just got remarried. He’s just been to Cabo with his wife and he’s tanned and happy for the first time in 20 years and he’s like ‘whatever happened before, didn’t exist before.’ It’s really remarkable. I’ve known this guy for a long time and have had some difficulties with him because he in the past could be very difficult but he’s not like that anymore.

“I saw him change before he left Notre Dame but listen to this. He was very honest about everything, including Notre Dame. He talked about the problems up there. He joked about all the cracks on him after getting to Baton Rouge. He flat out said ‘I came down here to beat Nick Saban.’ That was one of the motivators and with that, you have a shot of winning a national championship.”

Paul Finebaum confident in LSU with Brian Kelly in charge

As for the LSU program as a whole, Finebaum will be near the front of the line to buy some stock. It’s been a decade since Finebaum has felt as good as he does on the Tigers, with Kelly being the head coach being the lone reason.

“I feel a lot better about LSU than I have in a long time,” said Finebaum. “Really, probably since the ’12 season when they were the favorite to win again and they crashed and burned against Alabama that I have felt this confident. They have a real football coach down there. They don’t have a clown like Les Miles and they don’t have a hustler which they had with Ed Orgeron… They are in great shape long-term.”

LSU will open the season on Monday, Sept. 5 against Florida State in New Orleans. Kelly will have the opportunity to beat Saban for the first time in purple and gold when Alabama travels to Baton Rouge on Nov. 5.

A lot of eyes will be on how Kelly performs in Year One but at least for now, the head coach feels like there has been a major reset in his life. And it’s all for the best.