Brian Kelly isn’t slamming the door on college football.
The longtime coach, who spent the bulk of his adult life on a sideline, said in a recent interview with The Independent that he’s still leaving the possibility of another head coaching job on the table after being fired by LSU in October of his fourth season in Baton Rouge.
“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve closed any doors in my own mind, and I think that’s the most important thing,” Kelly said (h/t On3). “You know, I’m very open-minded about what the opportunities might be for me.
I have a lot more to give. I’ve been able to focus on my health.
My health has come back to be really, really good in all areas."
Kelly is 64 now, but his coaching life started early. He got his first head coaching job at 35 at Grand Valley State University and went on to spend the years from 1991 through 2025 as a college football head coach. In other words, half his life has been spent wearing the main headset.
LSU let him go despite a 34-14 overall record with the Tigers. The move came after the 2025 season had started 5-3 overall and 2-3 in SEC play.
Kelly is expected to be on television during the 2026 season, but whether he takes to that role full-time is a separate question. For now, he doesn’t sound like someone ready to declare coaching over.
He also pointed to the energy the job demands, especially at the college level.
“I’ve got good energy. I think that’s the most important thing," Kelly said.
"You’ve got to have energy to be around 18 to 22 year olds every single day. If you don’t bring it every day, they know it, and so I think, I think that’s important.
And so with that, I really have an open mind to any of those opportunities.”
Kelly spent 2010 through 2021 as Notre Dame’s head coach before his LSU run, and his comments make one thing clear: he’s not treating his next chapter as a final one just yet.
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The appeal here is obvious: Notre Dame is not just adding bodies, it is targeting players who can change the feel of the roster right away. Gray and Brewu should help fortify the interior, Porter gives the offense another intriguing option, and Keeley adds another piece to the edge rotation, leaving the bigger question of how fast all four can translate that upside into production once they get to South Bend. [Read more 🡒]