Notre Dame Fans Tried to Warn LSU

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 8:06 AM ET

When Brian Kelly abruptly left Notre Dame to become the LSU head coach in late November 2021, the reaction on both sides was interesting. For Irish fans, it was more a sense of relief, which for many came as a surprise. Now, almost four years later, everyone understands why the fans felt this way.

Kelly’s arrival in LSU wasn’t necessarily celebrated by everyone in Baton Rouge, as many thought that he wasn’t the right cultural fit in SEC country. His arrogance eventually proved them right. But for Irish fans, they were extremely happy to be moving on. Which says a lot considering Kelly had just guided them to an 11-1 regular season in 2021.

These are just a few of the reasons that Irish fans were relieved when Kelly took the LSU job:

Notre Dame Had Reach Its Ceiling with Kelly

Many fans were ready for a change, citing Kelly’s repeated inability to win a National Championship or even major bowl games. Years of coming up short in big games had created a sense that Kelly had reached his ceiling in South Bend.

Kelly’s Personality

Kelly’s personality had worn out his welcome with a large portion of the fanbase. Many felt he was a poor cultural fit for Notre Dame and grew tired of his excuses when losing important games. This is also ironic since many in LSU also considered him a cultural misfit.

Kelly’s Blame Game

Kelly earned a reputation for deflecting responsibility after losses, at times blaming his players or Notre Dame’s high academic standards for recruiting failures.

BKPTSD

A term used by some of the fanbase, “Brian Kelly Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” would reappear whenever the Irish were preparing for their next high-stakes game. The repeated losses in these games soured the fanbase.

Celebrating when a head coach who went 113-40 abruptly leaves may seem odd to many fans, but over time, more was expected. And Kelly didn’t deliver. Over time, LSU experienced the same feelings, which Notre Dame fans tried to warn them about four years ago.

Now that Kelly and LSU will be parting ways, there will be plenty of deserved “I told you so” comments coming from South Bend. Nobody knows what Kelly’s future holds, but he has now successfully corrupted two fanbases. And wherever his next coaching stop is, both of these fanbases will be very willing to warn them.

The Kelly cycle will continue

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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