What Brian Kelly wants to do at LSU that he did at Notre Dame
Brian Kelly left Notre Dame after a dozen seasons because, admittedly, he felt there was more out there for him at LSU than he was leaving behind in South Bend, Ind. Facilities, recruiting, resources. He said he believed the situation was better on just about all of those fronts in Baton Rouge, La.
Just about.
What about opportunities? Some of those are unique to Notre Dame. Like, say, playing games in Ireland, which Kelly did once as Notre Dame’s head coach in 2012. He was supposed to do it again in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic had other ideas. The Fighting Irish made that game up against Navy at Aviva Stadium in Dublin last season.
This year, two 2024 Notre Dame opponents, Georgia Tech and Florida State, are squaring off in the same venue to kick off the college football season. Oh, how Kelly wishes his Tigers could be in that situation.
“As an Irish Catholic and somebody that loves to go to Ireland, not to just be at the Temple Bar, but to be in Ireland and the history and the culture of Ireland, I just think from our brand, we’ve done such a good job with the LSU brand throughout the country. I think the next step for us is international,” Kelly said Monday at SEC Media Days in Dallas.
LSU has not played a game overseas in over a century. Notre Dame has played in Canada and Japan in addition to three kickoffs in Ireland since then.
Maybe Kelly is right; some things are easier at LSU than they are at Notre Dame. That would explain the three head coaches prior to Kelly — Nick Saban, Les Miles and Ed Orgeron — all winning a national championship as the man in charge of the program. Kelly’s got a lot of pressure to follow suit.
He’s also got pressure to make a pitch to get LSU in a game on far away foreign soil. It’s never happened before. Notre Dame does not have the same issue. It’s possible the Irish play another game outside the United States before LSU gets around to taking part in its first.
“I’ve felt the travel there is so clean and easy,” Kelly said. “Ireland has been such a great destination for other football programs to go and play. Aviva, Cork Stadium, both great venues to play in.
“I just think it sets up so easy from my perspective for American football to go over there and be received first of all, and then getting the matchup there. So I’m a huge proponent. I’ve been pushing our administration and hopefully we’re able to see that come to fruition.”
