Report: Contract details for Brian Kelly joining LSU emerge

Expected LSU head coach Brian Kelly appears to have a substantial contract as part of his deal to leave behind Notre Dame and coach the Tigers. Reports indicate that Kelly’s contract will be worth over $100 million with incentives over ten years.

Brian Kelly’s new contract

“LSU’s offer to Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is a 10-year deal that will take him north of $100 million with incentives,” via The Athletic’s Matt Fortuna.

The contract details come on a night filled with rumors about LSU’s next head coach being Kelly. While no official word has come in on the hiring, personnel decisions and now contract information is painting a picture of how the Tigers were able to lure away Notre Dame’s coach.

Kelly’s reported contract fits the mold of recent college football coaching deals, and would fit Kelly among the highest paid coaches in the nation.

Kelly recently received a three-year extension at Notre Dame in 2020, through the 2024 season. Although his salary with Notre Dame was unknown, the offer from LSU appears to be a substantial increase for the coach.

With the news that he would be leaving Notre Dame, Kelly leaves after becoming the winningest coach in the program’s history. With 113 wins with the Fighting Irish, Kelly surpassed Knute Rockne’s record of 105 this season.

Additional details on Kelly’s contract may take longer to know for sure, especially as the college football world still awaits details on another high-profile coaching change with Lincoln Riley.

Kelly reportedly taking over LSU

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.