Tag: Brian Kelly

LSU coach Brian Kelly says he never considered leaving for open Michigan job

Though Brian Kelly’s name popped up as a potential replacement for Jim Harbaugh, he said he had no interest.

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.

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LSU’s Brian Kelly reflects on Nick Saban’s retirement at Alabama

Brian Kelly explained what Nick Saban’s retirement means for his program and the SEC as a whole.

The SEC saw a major sea change this offseason. After 17 seasons at the helm of the Alabama football program and winning six national national titles, Nick Saban opted to retire.

Many see Saban’s decision to walk away from college football, which he so thoroughly dominated for the last two decades, as something of a power vacuum in the SEC. But LSU’s [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag], who went 1-1 against Saban as the coach of the Tigers, doesn’t quite agree, according to USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer.

He praised new hire Kalen DeBoer, who comes in after leading Washington to the national championship game in 2023. DeBoer is new to the Southeast after spending most of his coaching career in the Midwest and on the West Coast.

However, DeBoer’s 104-12 career record certainly inspires confidence.

“Kalen DeBoer is an outstanding football coach. His success is real. They hired somebody that, I think, creates the same kind of expectations at Alabama. I don’t look for a vulnerability or an opportunity because Nick is gone. Certainly, his success is unprecedented, but I don’t think we walk around going, ‘Hey, hey, we got Alabama now.’ That’s a fine football coach and he’s put together a great staff, and they’ve got incredible resources through all the success they’ve had. I think more than anything else, it just allows us to stay much more focused on what we do and not have to worry about who’s outside.”

Kelly added that while beating Saban — who he was 0-2 against at Notre Dame including losses in the national title game in 2013 and CFP semifinal in 2021 — was a draw for him to come to LSU, it wasn’t the only reason. Saban was merely the face of the challenge the SEC presented, according to Kelly.

“Nick is certainly, to me, the bar, but it’s now the entire top end of the SEC. It’s Kirby Smart. It’s every school now in the SEC that you play, week in and week out. That challenge is still there when you play in the SEC.

“I’m sorry to see Nick go. I think he represents what is good about college football, for me. But, look, I think everybody comes to a time and a place where they go, you know what, all the championships that he’s won, he can name his time and place.

“For me, he wasn’t the singular reason that I came. I wanted the SEC challenge, and Nick was the face of that.”

Now, the challenge has a new face, and it resides in Athens, Georgia. Kirby Smart arguably superseded Saban at Georgia toward the end of the latter’s career, winning back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022.

“I think Kirby does an incredible job – in recruiting, outside of the coaching, representing the program. I think the mantle has been passed to him in a lot of ways, but there’s so many talented coaches in this league.”

It’s hard to imagine the SEC without Saban, but now that he’s retired and divisions in the conference are a thing of the past, it could open the door for a program like LSU to raise its stature in the league.

Read the full interview with Brian Kelly from USA TODAY Sports by clicking here.

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LSU has the talent on offense to remain elite in 2024, Brian Kelly says

The Tigers’ offense lost almost all of its production from 2023 this offseason.

LSU’s offense in 2023 was perhaps the best we’ve seen in program history, aside from the national title-winning group in 2019. But as the Tigers prepare for Year 3 under [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] in 2024, almost all of the talent from that group has moved on.

That includes a Heisman-winning quarterback in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]. Now, it’s finally Garrett Nussmeier’s turn to take over after three seasons of waiting as a backup.

Nussmeier has seen some significant game action but has only made one start. Still, Kelly thinks Nussmeier has all the tools to be successful, once he gets a bit more game experience, according to USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer.

“He loves to play football. He just eats this up. He eats it and drinks it and sleeps it. The players love him. He’s committed. He’s got leadership capabilities. More than anything else, you have a guy that loves the big moments. He relishes this opportunity to be here at LSU. He loves LSU. He had a chance to be probably the most sought-after quarterback last year, and he turned that down to stay here.

“So, when you have a guy who loves to be where he’s at, and he’s committed himself, and now you see how he goes out and plays this game with such a passion. That’s exciting for a coach to see a guy that’s all in. In this world of, ‘What’s in it for me?’ he’s in it because he just loves to play the game.”

Nussmeier has a cannon of an arm and has earned a reputation as a bit of a gunslinger, though he doesn’t bring the same dual-threat element as Daniels, who rushed for more than 1,100 yards in 2023, leading the team.

The Tigers will need to get more out of their stable of running backs than they have in the first two seasons under Kelly, but that will be made easier by a loaded offensive line that returns four of five starters headlined by [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag], who could end up being the best offensive tackle in the nation this season.

Perhaps the biggest question on the offensive side of the ball has to do with the receiving corps, however. [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] — the program’s all-time leading receiver — and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who led the nation in receiving touchdowns in 2023, are both moving on.

The receiver room is far from bare as the Tigers return players who could be poised to break out like Thomas did this past season in [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag], as well as [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag]. The Tigers also added a pair of transfer receivers in [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Zavion Thomas[/autotag], and they’ll hope to see continued development from redshirt freshman [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag]

Kelly said that Nabers and Thomas’ production will have to be replaced in the aggregate.

“The sum has to be greater than any one of its parts. You’re not going to replace those guys individually. You have to replace them collectively. So, let’s say the quarterback position, Jayden Daniels and his ability to run, we’re not going to replace that. We’re going to have to lean on our offensive line, our running back and our quarterback and our receivers to do a great job on the perimeter blocking to have a more effective running game. So, it’s a collective approach in that respect.

“We’re going to rely on seven receivers to make up for the loss of two. The sum will have to be greater than any one of the parts, because you’re not going to replace individually three first-round draft picks. Could we have some guys that have individually great performances? Yeah. I think Kyren Lacy is pretty good. I think there’s some guys that are evolving into a bigger role. Chris Hilton looks like he’s got what it takes.”

With questions remaining on the defensive side of the ball under new coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], LSU will hope the offense continues to produce under new co-coordinators [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag], who were promoted from within after [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] left for the same role at Notre Dame.

Read the full interview with Brian Kelly from USA TODAY Sports by clicking here.

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Brian Kelly discusses if he was actually considering the Michigan football job

Did the LSU head coach actually lobby for the #Michigan job? #GoBlue

When Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh left the program in January to (finally) go to the NFL, after years of speculation, there was really only one name that came up in Ann Arbor to replace him. And that was the eventual head coach Sherrone Moore.

But that didn’t stop rumors and conjecture from happening that there could be an outside hire, particularly a familiar face who once led a rival program.

In the days following Harbaugh’s departure before Moore was officially hired and announced, the internet was abuzz with the idea that Brian Kelly, the former Notre Dame coach, could step down from his current post at LSU to take the Michigan job. The rumors didn’t appear to be coming from within the athletic program, so the speculation was that Kelly himself was lobbying to depart the SEC powerhouse to lead the maize and blue.

However, in a new exclusive interview with The Daily Advertiser, Kelly insists that the Michigan job wasn’t something that was on his mind.

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.

The respect is real, but it doesn’t appear there’s anything beyond what is the current status quo.

Kelly is obviously a good coach who has had success at every stop he’s made along the way. And he has familiarity with the state of Michigan having coached at Grand Valley State as well as in Mount Pleasant with Central Michigan.

Ultimately, whether or not Kelly was considered or if it was merely a rumor, Michigan football made the right choice by promoting from within. Moore was a handpicked successor to Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines, throughout modern history, have had more success with internally promoted candidates. Though Gary Moeller was only the head coach for a few short years following the Bo Schembechler era, he was a steady hand stewarding the program. When Moeller was ousted for an off-campus incident, Lloyd Carr — who was previously the defensive coordinator and a longtime assistant under Schembechler — stepped in and won the program’s first national championship since 1948.

Will Moore have similar success? While he does have a solid, but short, track record filling in as the interim coach for Harbaugh, only time will tell. But history shows that the maize and blue do better with internally promoted head coaches — at least since Schembechler’s arrival and departure.

Brian Kelly thinks LSU’s defense is ready for big step forward in 2024

LSU’s defense held the team back in 2023, but it could be much improved this fall.

LSU had arguably the nation’s best offense in 2023.

With a Heisman-winning quarterback in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and a pair of first-round draft pick receivers in [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], it was the most loaded skill position group we’ve seen in Baton Rouge excluding 2019.

But in spite of that, LSU regressed from an SEC West-winning program to one that finished third in the division, and the defense is a major reason for that. It was one of the worst in college football last season, ranking 105th in total defense and 78th in scoring defense.

Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is under no illusions about the fact that the defense was a limiting factor in 2023.

“If we could’ve played any semblance of defense (last season), we’re in the playoffs,” he said, according to Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY Sports.

However, Kelly said that he thinks the team is now built on a solid enough foundation to compete for a national title, and he expects improvements on that side of the ball in 2024.

“It won’t be elite yet,” Kelly said, “but I think it’s getting to the point where it can complement our offense. It didn’t complement our offense last year.”

LSU opted for a change at defensive coordinator after last season. [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] was fired and replaced by Missouri’s [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], who was previously a linebackers coach at LSU under Ed Orgeron.

That change, paired with the altered usage of players like [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], is expected to make a difference. Perkins was an impactful player as a true freshman playing off the edge, but a move to inside linebacker last season limited his production considerably.

Perkins has now moved to weakside linebacker ahead of a season where he faces lofty expectations.

“We’re going to need our best players to play their best football,” Kelly said. “Harold Perkins is going to have to be an impact player.”

The Tigers still have some apparent holes on the defensive side of the ball, particularly at the interior of the defensive line and in the defensive backfield. Kelly and the staff have been in the mix for several defensive tackle transfer targets and could also look to add cornerback depth.

LSU’s defense still faces a few questions, and it’s hard to have as much faith in that group as there is in the offense. But if the defense can take a step forward this season, LSU could make the jump from good to great, even without Daniels and Co.

Read the full feature from USA TODAY Sports by clicking here.

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Brian Kelly speaks out on Nick Saban’s retirement

LSU football head coach Brian Kelly is “sorry to see Nick go” as he discusses the legendary head coaches retirement.

Back in January, the college football world was turned upside down when the legendary [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] announced his retirement as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program.

Truth be told, I am not sure it will be real for fans of the sport until the season rolls around in late August and Coach Saban is no longer making his promenade inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Not only will it not be the same for fans of the sport, but even the now former peers of Saban will have to adjust to the GOAT no longer pacing the opposite sideline.

Recently LSU football head coach Brian Kelly shared his thoughts on Coach Saban retiring and what that means for the SEC.

Kelly had the following to say during his interview with Blake Toppmeyer of the Daily Advertiser:

Nick is certainly, to me, the bar, but it’s now the entire top end of the SEC. It’s Kirby Smart. It’s every school now in the SEC that you play, week in and week out. That challenge is still there when you play in the SEC.

I’m sorry to see Nick go. I think he represents what is good about college football, for me. But, look, I think everybody comes to a time and a place where they go, you know what, all the championships that he’s won, he can name his time and place.

For me, he wasn’t the singular reason that I came. I wanted the SEC challenge, and Nick was the face of that.

Kelly was also asked if Saban’s retirement would create any new opportunities for the LSU program.

Kalen DeBoer is an outstanding football coach. His success is real. They hired somebody that, I think, creates the same kind of expectations at Alabama. I don’t look for a vulnerability or an opportunity because Nick is gone. Certainly, his success is unprecedented, but I don’t think we walk around going, ‘Hey, hey, we got Alabama now.’ That’s a fine football coach and he’s put together a great staff, and they’ve got incredible resources through all the success they’ve had. I think more than anything else, it just allows us to stay much more focused on what we do and not have to worry about who’s outside.

Coach Kelly has always expressed his respect for Saban and the Alabama football program and appears to be doing the same with new Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer.

While the man wearing the headset may have changed, Coach Kelly’s respect has not.

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Where does LSU’s quarterback room rank nationally entering 2024?

LSU is losing a Heisman-winner at quarterback, but Garrett Nussmeier seems ready to take the mantle.

LSU enters the 2024 season — the third under coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] — with quite a few questions.

However, one of the most pressing has to do with the game’s most important position. Heisman-winning quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is out, and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is set to take over the starting job after seeing sporadic action in his first three seasons.

In addition to Nussmeier, the Tigers have Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag], redshirt freshman former four-star recruit [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag], a true freshman early enrollee who reclassified from 2025 to 2024.

While that group isn’t the most experienced in the country, it does feature quite a bit of talent. In his rankings of college football quarterback rooms in 2024, On3’s Jesse Simonton slotted the Tigers eighth.

LSU lost Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, but the Tigers have kept Garrett Nussmeier around for a reason and the country will see why this fall. Just in case, Brian Kelly added some interesting insurance to the QB room as well, grabbing Vandy transfer AJ Swann (27 touchdowns, nine picks in his career).

Replacing a player of Daniels’ caliber won’t be easy, but it’s hard to see quarterback as a major concern despite the fact that it will likely be rolling with a signal-caller who has made just one career start, which came in the ReliaQuest Bowl at the end of the 2023 season.

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LSU makes the cut for top 50 2025 linebacker Tavion Wallace

The Tigers will have to work without an official visit with Tavion Wallace.

LSU has a top-three class in the 2025 cycle as things currently stand, and coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is currently trying to make it even stronger.

The Tigers made the cut on Tuesday for four-star Wayne County (Jesup, Ga.) linebacker [autotag]Tavion Wallace[/autotag], joining Florida, Georgia, Florida State and Arkansas in his top five.

Wallace has currently set official visits with all of the programs in that group other than the Tigers. He has called LSU his “dream school,” according to On3’s Chad Simmons, but Kelly and the staff will be disadvantaged as it will not receive an official visit from Wallace this summer.

Wallace ranks as the No. 41 prospect nationally and No. 3 linebacker, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Florida State is currently the heavy favorite to land him at 81%.

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Former LSU safety Ryan Yaites transfers to Cal

Former LSU safety Ryan Yaites is heading to the ACC.

Former LSU safety [autotag]Ryan Yaites[/autotag] found his new home on Monday, telling On3 Sports he’s committing to Cal.

The sophomore safety entered the transfer portal in the spring window after just one year at LSU. He played 124 defensive snaps with the Tigers, notching seven tackles. According to PFF, he allowed five catches in 66 coverage snaps.

Yaites committed to LSU in 2022, choosing the Tigers over Oklahoma. As a recruit, ESPN ranked him as the 11th-best safety in the country. He was the 276th overall recruit in On3’s Industry Ranking.

Now, the Texas native will head out west and join Cal as the Golden Bears head to the ACC.

LSU hasn’t lost a ton to the portal this year, but Yaites would have been a solid piece with Brian Kelly’s program going through a defensive rebuild. Between personnel and coaching changes, a lot will look different on that side of the ball in 2024.

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LSU names Flau’Jae Johnson and Paris Shand Volunteers of the Year

LSU’s Flau’Jae Johnson and Paris Shand were recognized for their efforts in the community on Monday.

LSU athletes [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Paris Shand[/autotag] were recognized for their efforts in the community this week. Johnson (women’s basketball) and Shand (football), were named Female Volunteer of the Year and Male Volunteer of The Year.

The honor was part of “The Mikey Awards,” a series of awards recognizing athletes for their performance and work over the last year.

Johnson arrived at LSU in 2022 and made an immediate impact as she emerged as one of the nation’s most dynamic guards, helping lead LSU to its first national title as a freshman. The Savannah native also has also gained notoriety for her musical career that features collaborations with Lil Wayne and NLE Choppa.

Now, she’s being recognized for her work away from the spotlight.

As for Shand, he’s preparing for his fifth year of college football and second at LSU. The veteran defensive linemen transferred to LSU after spending his first three years at Arizona. He’ll look to take another step forward this fall with LSU needing help on the defensive line.

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