Brian Kelly has been linked to another college football job

Could Brian Kelly be making a return to college football as a head coach?

After the Maryland Terrapins parted ways with Mike Locksley on Wednesday, Kelly’s name surfaced as a candidate for the job. Several college football analysts linked Kelly to the opening, including Chris Vannini of The Athletic and Pete Nakos of On3.

“Kelly is owed a $54 million buyout from LSU, but he must find a coaching job to offset those payments, which could also make him a cheaper option,” Vannini wrote.

Kelly was linked to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights job in September, although the program has yet to move on from Greg Schiano.

Kelly has been the head coach at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and LSU, and he has a combined record of 200-76 with 10 bowl game victories.

Kelly’s longest tenure came at Notre Dame, where he spent 12 seasons before shockingly leaving to go to LSU in 2022. The Tigers fired Kelly in 2025 despite a 34-14 record, and it came with a massive $54 million buyout.

The buyout still looms large, so it could be a cheaper option if Maryland decides to go that route.

This season, Kelly isn’t coaching anywhere, but he has been calling some Mountain West Conference games for CBS. At any rate, Kelly’s name should be linked to several jobs as soon as they become available.