LSU expected to hire Brian Kelly as its next head coach: Report

The search might be over soon, LSU fans.

The Tigers are expected to hire longtime Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly to replace Ed Orgeron as the man in charge in Baton Rouge, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports.

Kelly, 60, has been at Notre Dame since 2010 and just finished the 2021 season 11-1 and in the conversation for the College Football Playoff at No. 6 in the country.

In his 12 seasons with the Fighting Irish, Kelly has a record of 113–40 with two playoff berths and an appearance in the 2013 BCS Championship Game. He is the winningest active coach in NCAA Football.

And since 2017, Kelly has Notre Dame, 54-9.

When Kelly was recently asked about leaving Notre Dame for USC or another job, he said: "No. Unless that fairy godmother comes by with that $250 million check, my wife would want to take a look at it first. I’d have to run it by her.”

Kelly’s Head Coaching Resume, according to Notre Dame site:

-- Twenty-third college coach to reach 200 career victories with at least five years of service or 50 victories at a school that was classified as a major college at the time

-- Second-youngest and fifth-fastest coach to ever reach 200 career victories with at least five years of service or 50 victories at a school that was classified as a major college at the time

-- With 10-plus wins in 2012*, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, Kelly is the only Notre Dame coaches to hit the double-digit mark in wins seven times

-- With 10-win seasons in six of the last seven years, Kelly is the first Irish coach have six seasons of double-digit wins in a seven-year stretch in program history.

-- Kelly is also the first Irish coach to have five-straight seasons with 10 wins or more.

-- Kelly is 31-27 (.534)* in his career against Associated Press Top 25 teams, which ranks eighth among active FBS coach with at least 25 such games

-- Ranks first among active FBS coaches with 283 wins*, as well as sixth among active FBS coaches with at least five years of head coaching experience in winning percentage (.743)*

-- Swept just about every possible coach of the year award in 2012 — Home Depot, Associated Press, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sporting News, Liberty Mutual and American Football Coaches Association

-- Continued focus on academics as Notre Dame won the 2014 American Football Coaches Association Academic Achievement Award with a 100 percent graduation rate for the freshman football student-athlete class of 2007

-- Fifteen of Kelly’s last 16 teams have finished the year with a winning record

-- Every team of Kelly’s head coaching tenure, except for his first Central Michigan team that went 4-7 in 2004 and Notre Dame in 2016 (4-8), has finished at .500 or better (29 out of 31 years)

-- Kelly is one of five active FBS coaches who have guided their respective schools to multiple undefeated regular seasons since 2009

-- Three seasons at Cincinnati from 2007-09, including a 34-6 record (.850) and two straight outright BIG EAST Conference title teams that earned BCS appearances in 2008 (FedEx Orange Bowl) and 2009 (Allstate Sugar Bowl)

-- Three seasons at Central Michigan University from 2004-06, including a 19-16 overall record (.542) featuring a 9-4 mark and Mid-American Conference title in 2006

-- Thirteen seasons at Grand Valley State University from 1991-2003, including a 118-35-2 record (.767) highlighted by NCAA Division II national championships in 2002 (14-0) and 2003 (14-1)

-- An overall record of 283-97-2 (.743)* in 31 seasons as a head coach

-- A record of 17-10 (.630)* record in postseason play as a head coach