| FTBL This just might fall under the “be careful what you wish for” on steroids version.

[Davestwin]

LSU’s Brian Kelly on decision to coach in SEC: ‘I want to beat Nick Saban’

LSU coach Brian Kelly talked about decision to leave South Bend and head south.

www.al.com

Brian Kelly is always in search for a challenge.

The former Notre Dame coach found it in the SEC. Kelly, in his first year at LSU, takes over a program, he said, he didn’t even visit before accepting the head coaching position.

“I never visited,” Kelly said earlier this week on the Varsity House Podcast. “It was the alignment between the president, the athletic director and knowing that you were going to go into a program that had all those things in place. And you were going into a situation where you could compete with Alabama and Auburn and play those teams you wanted to go beat.

“So, I know those facilities were in place. It was the challenge. It was the ultimate challenge to come down here after being in the Midwest my entire career where most people said, “Well, you can’t do that. You can’t go down there and win in the SEC. You’re not from there.’

“So, it was probably the challenge to do it, and the alignment of an athletic director and president that were together in wanting to provide all the resources necessary to win a national championship.”

Kelly made it clear he wanted to face the toughest hurdle in college football: Alabama.

“I want to beat Nick Saban,” he said. “Who doesn’t want to beat Nick Saban? You know what I mean? I want to play him in the regular season. That’s the standard. Now, he’s a conference opponent.”

Last month, Kelly talked to Saban, who held the LSU job from 2000-2004, about the position before taking the job in Baton Rouge.

There is certainly a trend for success at LSU. The past three coaches at LSU have won national titles. Saban (2003), Les Miles (2007) and Ed Orgeron (2019) all hoisted trophies in the name of college football supremacy.

Kelly, 58, received a 10-year contract worth at least $95 million in November to be LSU’s coach. He was 113-40 in 12 seasons at Notre Dame, including 11-1 in 2021.

Kelly replaced Orgeron, who was fired amid a 6-6 season last year.

 

[TerryP]

<gut instinct talking>

Brian Kelly is going to run into a little verbal spat soon...likely with one of the Mississippi guys...after running his mouth a bit in the football season.

Maybe it's just the fan in me. I see a lot of I versus we; Kelly vs Saban.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

Maybe it's just the fan in me. I see a lot of I versus we; Kelly vs Saban.

That strikes me too. Kelly is a lot of what he wants to do and very little about anyone else. Lots of proof of that through the years.

 

[alabama mike]

(Stereo type ahead) IMO, Kelly has the typical northeastern attitude, he hails from New England. Yes, he spent many years coaching in Michigan at Grand Valley St and Central Michigan before going to Cincinnati. His teams at Grand Valley St. was a major player in the D II top rankings for years. He turned a woeful team in CM into a Mid America Conference major player. We all know what he did at UC and nd after taking the job.

I think he will have success at LSU but will he be able to beat the GOAT on a regular basis? Time will tell but until he does, he needs to focus on building depth with the LSU roster and controlling those things which he can control.

 

[Davestwin]

(Stereo type ahead) IMO, Kelly has the typical northeastern attitude, he hails from New England. Yes, he spent many years coaching in Michigan at Grand Valley St and Central Michigan before going to Cincinnati. His teams at Grand Valley St. was a major player in the D II top rankings for years. He turned a woeful team in CM into a Mid America Conference major player. We all know what he did at UC and nd after taking the job.

I think he will have success at LSU but will he be able to beat the GOAT on a regular basis? Time will tell but until he does, he needs to focus on building depth with the LSU roster and controlling those things which he can control.

I agree with the stereotype … they become stereotypes for a reason! The Bama fan in me hopes Kelly NEVER fulfills his dream to beat Saban. The last two things in my Saban bucket list are 1) that he finishes out his career at Bama (however long that is) without losing to Auburn again. A five to eight year run would be great! 2) that Bama wins 3 NC’s in a row. I realize that’s very unlikely but it’s a bucket list dream. I’m now inclined to add a third … that Saban never loses to Kelly.