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A32 sports
Diaranson 1 December 2021

LSU hires Kelly away from Notre Dame to be Tigers next coach

Kelly, who is likely to be the the Irish are 54-9 under Kel-
next coach in line for a mega- ly — virtually the same as
deal. the 55-10 record of Riley at
Oklahoma.
Fisher’s move — a nation-
al championship-winning At LSU, Kelly will follow
coach leaving one traditional Orgeron, who was a shoot-
power for another — has ing star in Baton Rouge. The
been a rarity in the history of Cajun coach who grew up
college football. on the Bayou Lafourche and
considered LSU his dream
Now there have been two job won over skeptical fans
similar shake-ups in a mat- and led one of the great col-
ter of days. The coaching lege football teams in recent
carousel, sped up by every- memory: The Tigers won the
thing from impatient athletic ’19 national title, going 15-0
directors seeking a winner to behind Heisman Trophy
the early signing period for winner Joe Burrow.
recruits and the always-busy
transfer portal, won’t slow LSU is not a place where
down any time soon. Okla- only coaches with Southern
homa and Notre Dame are roots can thrive. Les Miles
still among the top jobs in was a Michigan man who
college football and filling coached at Oklahoma State
(AP) - LSU is hiring Brian coach has left the Irish, win- but agreed to a $16.9 million them could tip more domi- before leading the Tigers to
Kelly away from Notre ners of eight AP national buyout paid through 2025. nos around the country. a national title. Saban, a West
Dame, a stunning move championships, to take a job Virginia native, came from
by one of the most accom- at another school since the AP Kelly’s full salary at Notre Kelly had brought stability Michigan State to win a na-
plished coaches in college poll started in 1936. Rockne’s Dame, a private school, is and success to Notre Dame tional championship at LSU.
football jumping from the successor, Hunk Anderson, unknown but it is believed unlike the program had in al-
sport’s most storied pro- went from Notre Dame to to be north of $5 million per most two decades. Kelly, an Irish-Catholic
gram to a Southeastern North Carolina State after year. Bostonian, has won na-
Conference powerhouse. going 3-5-1 in 1933. He has not been able to add tional titles, too — at Divi-
In the past month alone, a national championship, but sion II Grand Valley State.
The move was confirmed LSU’s coaching search Michigan State has given Mel the Fighting Irish have been He worked his way up from
Monday night by a person started in October, when it Tucker a 10-year, $95 million winning at a clip they haven’t there to Central Michigan
familiar with the decision reached an agreement to part deal and Penn State extended reached since Lou Holtz led and then to Cincinnati, al-
who spoke to The Associ- ways with coach Ed Orgeron James Franklin’s contact to the program in the late 1980s ways winning more than the
ated Press on condition of at the end of the season. The 10 years at $7.5 million per and early 1990s. The Irish coaches who preceded him.
anonymity because neither change came less than two season. Those deals are simi- won their last national title in
school was prepared to make years after Coach O led the lar to the 10-year guaranteed 1988 under Holtz. He did the same thing at
an official announcement. Tigers to a national champi- contract Fisher received from Notre Dame, but the nation-
Yahoo! Sports first reported onship. A&M when he was hired Notre Dame ran through al championship has eluded
the hire. away from Florida State at three coaches after Holtz, him. As good as the Fighting
LSU finished a 6-6 regular the end of the 2017 season by never coming close to sus- Irish have been, they have
It was the second bombshell season on Saturday, upsetting then-Aggies’ athletic director tained success. been outclassed in two play-
in college football in as many Texas A&M at home in Org- Scott Woodward. off games and a BCS title
days, coming a little more eron’s last game. Notre Dame hired Kelly game against Alabama in the
than 24 hours after South- Woodward is now the AD at away from Cincinnati to re- 2012 season.
ern California pulled Lincoln Kelly is agreeing to take over LSU. There had been much place Charlie Weis after the
Riley away from Oklahoma. the Tigers just a few weeks af- speculation he would tar- 2009 season. It took a while Kelly will now try to fill the
LSU might have topped it ter he had publicly dismissed get Fisher again and rumors for Kelly to find the right mix last remaining hole on his
by luring Kelly from South the idea of moving on when about Riley going to LSU of coaching staff and recruit- Hall of Fame resume at LSU,
Bend to Baton Rouge. asked about possibly being a had persisted for weeks. ing strategy to turn the Irish a school that has turned its
candidate at USC. into the perennial contend- last three coaches into na-
The 60-year-old Kelly be- Instead, Woodward landed ers. Since going 4-8 in 2016, tional champions.
came t he winningest coach “No. I mean, look, I think
in Notre Dame history ear- Mike Tomlin had the best
lier this season, surpassing line, right?” Kelly told re-
Knute Rockne. In 12 seasons porters, referring to the Pitts-
with the Fighting Irish, Kelly burgh Steelers coach. “Un-
is 113-40, including the cur- less that fairy godmother
rent run of five straight dou- comes by with that $250 mil-
ble-digit victory seasons. lion check, my wife would
want to take a look at it first.
Notre Dame completed an I’d have to run it by her.”
11-1 season on Saturday and
still is in contention to reach LSU paid Orgeron about $9
the College Football Playoff million this season, among
for the third time in the last the highest paid coaches
four years. in college football along
with Alabama’s Nick Sa-
Kelly, who did not return a ban, Clemson’s Dabo Swin-
text message sent by AP, was ney and Texas A&M’s Jimbo
on the road recruiting for Fisher.
Notre Dame when the news
broke. Orgeron was due to make an
average of $7 million over
No previous Notre Dame the length of his contract