When Brian Kelly was hired away from Notre Dame in December of 2021, LSU announced at the time that “the search for LSU Football’s next championship head coach is over.”
The most accomplished hire in program history with 304 career victories, Kelly wasted little time in making his impact felt, leading the Tigers to a 10-win season and the SEC Western Division title in his first year. Despite inheriting a roster with only 39 scholarship players remaining from the 2021 season, Kelly led the Tigers to Top 10 wins over Ole Miss and Alabama along with road victories over Auburn, Florida and Arkansas in his first year with the Tigers.
LSU capped the 2022 season with a resounding 63-7 win over Purdue in the Citrus Bowl completing one of the biggest turnarounds in college football.
Building off of the 2022 season, Kelly again guided the Tigers to a 10-win season capped with a victory over Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl. In doing so, Kelly joined Miles as the only coaches in LSU history to led the Tigers to 10-wins seasons in their first two years with the program. Kelly has now won at least 10 games for seven straight years, the longest active streak among all FBS coaches.
Behind the play of Heisman Trophy quarterback Jayden Daniels, LSU won seven of its final eight games to finish with a 10-3 record. All three of LSU’s losses came to teams either in the CFP Playoffs (Alabama) or playing in a New Year’s Six Bowl (Florida State, Ole Miss). LSU’s signature win came in a 49-39 victory over Missouri – a team that finished ranked No. 9 in the nation.
In 2023, the Tigers featured the top offense in college football, leading the nation in scoring (45.5) and total yards (543.5). LSU was the only FBS team to rank among the Top 10 in both rushing (No. 10 at 204.5) and passing (338.9) yards per game.
Behind an offensive line that was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, LSU topped 40-points and the 500-yard mark nine times in 2023. Daniels became only the fifth player in SEC history to account for 50 touchdowns (40 passing, 10 rushing) in a season and he led the nation in total offense with a league record 412.2 yards per game. Daniels also set the FBS record for pass efficiency with a 208.0 rating. For the second straight year, Daniels was the top rushing quarterback in college football with 1,134 yards.
In LSU’s November win over Florida, the Tigers racked up 701 total yards – the most ever given up by the Gators – with Daniels setting the SEC record for total yards with 606. In that game, Daniels became the first player in FBS history to rush for 200 yards (234) and pass for 350 yards (376) in a game. A week later, Daniels tied Joe Burrow’s LSU record for touchdowns in a game with eight (2 rushing, 6 passing).
Daniels solidified his standing as the Heisman Trophy favorite against Texas A&M when he directed the Tigers to three fourth quarter touchdowns as LSU overcame a 10-point third quarter deficit to beat the Aggies, 42-30. In what was his final game as a Tiger, Daniels accounted for four touchdowns and 355 yards (120 rushing, 235 passing) against Texas A&M.
LSU’s 2023 offense ranked No. 2 in program history for points in a season (592), points per game (45.5), total yards (7,065), total yards per game (543.5), passing yards (4,406) and passing yards per game (338.9).
Wide receiver Malik Nabers – a consensus All-America – became LSU’s all-time leader in receptions (189) and receiving yards (3,004). Nabers led the nation in receiving yards per game (120.7), catching an SEC-best 89 passes for 1,569 yard and 14 touchdowns. Teammate Brian Thomas led the nation in receiving TDs with 17. The duo combined for 157 receptions for 2,746 yards and 31 touchdowns making them the most productive tandem in the FBS.
Daniel, Nabers and Thomas were all selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Kelly has now coached 15 players who have gone on to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. In all, he has seen 100 of his former players picked in the NFL Draft – 64 at Notre Dame, 17 at Cincinnati, 12 at LSU, 6 at Central Michigan and 1 at Grand Valley State.
It also marked the first time in NFL Draft history that a quarterback and wide receiver from the same school were both selected in the Top 10. Daniels went No. 2 overall, while Nabers was selected No. 6. Thomas was the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 draft.
In his first year at LSU, the Tiger offense gave a glimpse into what the 2023 season may hold. After a slow start – LSU completed only eight passes for 80 yards in a win over Auburn on Oct. 1 – the Tigers found their identity beginning with a 45-35 victory over Florida in Gainesville two weeks later.
A week later, Kelly picked up his first Top 10 win at LSU as the Tigers rolled past No. 7 Ole Miss, 45-20, in Tiger Stadium. Following an open date, the Tigers picked up their second consecutive Top 10 win, knocking off No. 6 Alabama, 32-31, in Death Valley.
Down a touchdown after Alabama’s first possession in overtime, Daniels scored on a 25-yard run on LSU’s first play pulling the Tigers to within 31-30. Instead of kicking the extra-point to send the game into a second overtime, Kelly opted to go for two setting the stage for one of Tiger Stadium’s epic moments.
With 102,000 fans on their feet, Daniels found tight end Mason Taylor in the front corner of the endzone for a successful two-point conversion, sending Tiger Stadium into a frenzy.
That call – and that game – are widely considered two of the top moments in the history of Tiger Stadium. The victory over Alabama put LSU in the driver’s seat in the SEC Western Division as the Tigers went on to claim a spot in the league’s title game with a win over Arkansas in Fayetteville the following week.
Kelly became only the fourth first-year coach in SEC history to lead a team to the league’s championship game, joining Les Miles (LSU in 2005), Gus Malzahn (Auburn in 2013) and Jim McElwain (Florida, 2015).
Kelly and Paul Dietzel are the only coaches in LSU history to lose a season-opener and still go on to win 10 games. Kelly has now done it twice – 2022 and 2023 – while Dietzel did it in 1961.
LSU’s 2022 season saw the Tigers rack up some of the top offensive numbers in school history – at the time ranking No. 2 in program record books for total yards (6,344), No. 3 in yards per game (453.1) and total passing yards (3,770). The 2022 set the program mark for rushing touchdowns with 39, breaking the previous record of 37 set in 2013.
Kelly, who has more victories than any active coach in major college football with 304, was named LSU’s 34th head football coach on December 1, taking over a program that has won four national championships. He joined the Tigers after 12 seasons at Notre Dame.
In 34 years as a collegiate head coach, Kelly has put together a 304-104-2 overall mark and is the winningest coach in Notre Dame history. He’s now won 10 or more games 12 times at the FBS level and he’s reached double-digit win 18 times in his 34-year coaching career. He’s had teams win nine games on five other occasions.
Other coaching stops for Kelly include 13 seasons at Grand Valley State, three at Central Michigan, four at Cincinnati, and 12 at Notre Dame.
His overall mark of 304-104-2 puts him ahead of North Carolina’s Mack Brown (276) on the list of most victories by an active FBS head coach. Only twice during Kelly’s 34-year coaching career has he had a team finish below .500.
Kelly is also one of only five active FBS coaches who have guided their programs to multiple undefeated regular seasons since 2009 and he’s led teams to a berth in the BCS National Championship Game and to a pair of College Football Playoff appearances. Overall, his teams have appeared in bowl games 15 times.
Prior to taking over at LSU in 2022, Kelly spent 12 years as the head coach at Notre Dame where he became the school’s winningest coach with 113 victories, moving past legendary Knute Rockne for the top spot on the list. Kelly left Notre Dame with a 113-40 overall mark and his teams averaged 10 wins a season over his last five years – 54-9 during that span – with Irish.
Kelly surpassed Rockne as the winningest coach in the storied history of Notre Dame when the Irish beat Wisconsin, 41-13, on Sept. 25, 2021 at Soldier Field in Chicago.
During his Notre Dame career, Kelly led the Irish to the 2012 BCS national title game as well as College Football Playoff appearances in 2018 and 2020. He was named National Coach of the Year by numerous outlets in 2012 and 2018. He’s the only coach to win the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award more than once, and he’s done it three times (2009, 2012, and 2018).
In 12 seasons at Notre Dame, Kelly’s teams won at least 10 games seven times, including 2021, as the Irish posted an 11-1 mark and were ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation during his final season in South Bend. Kelly’s final five seasons at Notre Dame saw the Irish win at least 10 games each year, including a 12-1 mark in 2018 and 11-2 in 2019.
Individually, Notre Dame players claimed eight consensus All-America honors playing for Kelly, while the Irish had players win nine national awards during that span. Kelly’s Notre Dame teams produced 55 NFL Draft picks since 2012, including 10 in the first round.
Academically under Kelly, the Irish had eight players earn the prestigious CoSIDA Academic All-America honor, and three were selected as National Football Foundation Scholar-Athletes. As a team, Notre Dame consistently ranked among the nation’s top four in the NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate.
Prior to joining the Irish, Kelly transformed Cincinnati into a football powerhouse, winning Big East titles in 2008 and 2009. In three years at Cincinnati, the Bearcats won 34 games and appeared in the Orange and Sugar Bowls.
In 2007, Kelly led Cincinnati to the school’s first-ever 10-win season with a 10-3 mark and a win in the PapaJohns.com Bowl. In his final season at Cincinnati, Kelly’s team posted a 12-0 regular season mark and earned a berth to the Sugar Bowl.
Kelly’s first Division I head coaching position came in 2004 when he took over at Central Michigan. In three years with the Chippewas, Kelly’s teams won 19 games, claimed the Mid-American Conference title in 2006 and appeared in a bowl game for the first time in 12 years. The MAC title was the first for Central Michigan since 1994.
Kelly’s impact at Central Michigan put the program on a path that saw the school win two more MAC titles over the next three years after his departure.
Prior to Kelly’s arrival, Central Michigan had only two 10-win seasons and two bowl appearances since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1975.
Kelly’s first head coaching job came at Division II Grand Valley State in 1991, a position he held for 13 years. In 13 years at Grand Valley, Kelly won 118 games, won five straight conference titles and made six Division II playoff appearances. He led the Lakers to back-to-back national titles in 2002 and 2003, going 14-0 and 14-1, respectively. He won 41 games during his final three years in Allendale.
A native of Everett, Mass., Kelly was a four-year letterwinner at linebacker and two-time team captain at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass. He graduated from Assumption in 1983 with a degree in political science.
Kelly and his wife Paqui have three children – Patrick, Grace and Kenzel. The Kellys are active in community outreach and have established the Kelly Cares Foundation which has donated nearly $8 million to support causes related to the fight against breast cancer since its founding in 2008.
Brian Kelly Accolades
• Winningest Active NCAA Coach (304 victories)
• SEC Western Division Champion (2022)
• College Football Playoff Appearance (2018, 2020)
• BCS National Championship Game Appearance (2012)
• NCAA Division II National Champion (2002, 2003)
• Home Depot National Coach of the Year (2009, 2012, 2018)
• AP College Football Coach of the Year (2012, 2018)
• Walter Camp Coach of the Year (2012)
• Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (2012)
• AFCA Division II Coach of the Year (2002, 2003)
• Big East Coach of the Year (2007, 2008, 2009)
• Mid-American Conference Champion (2006)
• Big East Conference Champion (2008, 2009)
• Winningest Coach in Notre Dame history (113 victories)
• 1 Heisman Trophy winner (Jayden Daniels, 2023)
• 13 National Award Winners
• 10 Consensus All-Americans
• 8 Academic All-Americans
• 3 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athletes
