Even before Jim Harbaugh left Michigan for the NFL after winning a national title with the Wolverines this past season, Brian Kelly’s name was being floated around as a potential replacement.
Kelly had only been at LSU for two seasons since he shocked the college football world by leaving a blue-blooded program in Notre Dame after more than a decade, but the opportunity to return to a premier Midwest job in the Big Ten seemed like it could be an enticing option for Kelly, especially coming off a somewhat disappointing 2023 campaign.
It’s hard to know if there was interest in Kelly from the Michigan side as it wrapped up the search quickly and quietly, promoting offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore from within. However, Kelly said that if the Wolverines had come calling, he wouldn’t have listened, according to USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer.
“I really didn’t think much about it. I think if my ears were interested in listening to that stuff, maybe it would affect me, but I have no interest in that. I have great respect for what Michigan has accomplished as a football program. They’re the all-time winningest program, but I knew that when I was at Notre Dame. So, it wasn’t anything new. This was a conscious decision to come to LSU because I wanted to be in this conference. It was much more than an individual school as much as it was, collectively, I wanted to play in the SEC and play the competition that’s here.
“After being at Notre Dame and playing Michigan and playing in the Midwest and playing those schools, it was a great experience, but it would almost be reliving it again, you know what I mean? It was déjà vu for me to think about in any other way. So, it wasn’t something that, really, I gave much thought to.”
Kelly reiterated that he had no interest this offseason in Michigan or any other job. He said he’s committed to LSU, and that tracks with statements he’s made in the past that he intends to retire as the coach of the Tigers.
“I have committed myself to living here. Our family is here. We run our foundation through the state. We’re totally committed to LSU and the state of Louisiana and want to finish our career here. I don’t want to coach anywhere else. That’s why we’ve been so focused on the job at hand and getting the job done here.”
Crazier things have happened in this sport, and Kelly’s decision to leave Notre Dame came as a tremendous shock when it happened. But it seems the 62-year-old isn’t entertaining any other jobs for the time being.
Read the full interview with Brian Kelly from USA TODAY Sports by clicking here.
Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno