Brian Kelly left a Notre Dame football team on the precipice of the college football playoff to become the head coach of the LSU Tigers.
Brian Kelly shocked the college football world and departed the Notre Dame football program as the all-time winningest coach to become the new head football coach at LSU. As with Cincinnati’s departure, Kelly left behind a very murky timeline and several burned bridges. Here is the best attempt at piecing together the wild timeline.
Notre Dame football: The curious timeline of Brian Kelly’s departure
Approximately 2 weeks ago – Kelly flirts with other programs
Reporters asked Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick whether he was surprised by Brian Kelly’s departure.
“There was a Freudian slip or two along the way that grabbed my attention. Whether that was intentional or not, you felt like it was somebody who might be open to a different opportunity,” Swarbrick said in his response.
Quiet rumors persisted during this period about possibly becoming the head coach at Southern California. It is uncertain but likely that Kelly or his agent Trace Armstrong had discussions with USC and LSU before Notre Dame’s regular-season finale with Stanford.
Approximately 7:45 pm – Brian Kelly leaves the house of WR recruit Tobias Merriweather
Kelly and several other coaches met with recruit Tobias Merriweather from Washington on the evening of November 29th. Minutes after the group departed, news broke that Brian Kelly would become the next LSU head coach.
This was a theme for Irish coaches during the evening.
Notre Dame football: The curious timeline of Brian Kelly’s departure
7:51 pm on Nov. 29 – Reports: Brian Kelly to LSU
Yahoo national college football writer Pete Thamel breaks the news that Brian Kelly will become LSU’s next head coach. At this point, it is all a rumor, and nothing official has been announced by either school or Kelly himself.
As social media goes nuts in regards to the possibility that Kelly could leave South Bend, all the smoke means that this is likely to become a reality. From a possible College Football Playoff berth, to not even coaching the team in the playoff or bowl game, Kelly to LSU is starting to pick up steam.
10:08 pm on Nov. 30 – Brian Kelly messages team
Kelly messaged the Notre Dame football team late on Monday night. He wrote:
"“Men…Let me first apologize for the late night text and, more importantly, for not being able to share the news with you in person that I will be leaving Notre Dame. I am flying back to South Bend tonight to be able to meet with you in the morning but the news broke latetoday and I am sorry you found out through social media or news reports. I will have more to share when we meet tomorrow at 7 a.m. but for now, just know that my love for you is limitless and I am so proud of all that you have accomplished. Our program is elite because of your hard work and commitment and I know that will continue. I will share more in the morning when we meet. Again, my sincere apologies for not being able to be the one to share the news directly with you. Coach Kelly”"
Sometime between 8:00 pm on Nov. 29 and midnight
Brian Kelly reached out to multiple assistants including Marcus Freeman and Tommy Rees in hopes of bringing them to Baton Rogue.
Notre Dame football: The curious timeline of Brian Kelly’s departure
7:00 am on Nov. 30 – Brian Kelly meets with Notre Dame players
According to multiple reports, Kelly spoke with the team for less than two minutes. Following his remarks, he turned around and walked out. Kelly did not take questions from the players. Eleven minutes later, Brian Kelly was seen driving away in his blue Mercedes SUV.
Irish players departed the Guglielmino Athletics Complex around 7:23 am.
9:02 am on Nov. 30 – LSU announces Brian Kelly as Head Coach
LSU announced Brian Kelly as the 34th head coach in school history. His social media profile changed sometime around this announcement indicating his new position with the Tigers. The graphic added, “Fighting Tigers” as an obvious troll to Notre Dame.
10:00 am on Nov. 30 – Jack Swarbrick meets with media
Swarbrick discusses the departure of Brian Kelly and the next steps. Many expected the announcement of defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman as the interim head coach. However, no interim was named.
2:10 on Nov. 30 – Irish suffer their first de-commitment
Defensive back Devin Moore de-committed from Notre Dame. Moore became the first departure from the 2022 Fighting Irish recruiting class. It is unclear how many others will join Moore before the National Signing Day on Dec. 15.
Approximately 2:30 on Nov. 30 – Brian Kelly lands in Baton Rouge
New LSU coach Brian Kelly, his wife Paqui, and his daughter Grace landed via private jet in Baton Rouge along with LSU athletic director Scott Woodward.
5:38 pm on Nov. 30 – Balis stays in South Bend
Notre Dame Director of Football Performance Matt Balis declines to join Brian Kelly at LSU and remains in South Bend. In a video posted by the football program, Balis told the players that he would not leave during a workout.
7:15 pm on Nov. 30 – Notre Dame ranked No. 6 in College Football Playoff
The Fighting Irish landed at No. 6 in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings. According to chairman Gary Barta, the loss of Brian Kelly could impact Notre Dame’s playoff status.