Roughly 24 hours after Lincoln Riley stunned the college football world, Brian Kelly one-upped the new USC head coach.
Kelly, the winningest coach in Notre Dame football history, is leaving South Bend after nearly 12 seasons of leading the Fighting Irish. Kelly reportedly will become the next head coach at LSU in the wake of Ed Orgeron's departure.
Notre Dame players are set to meet with Kelly on Tuesday morning to discuss the move. But the night before the meeting, an apologetic Kelly texted his now-former players.
"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," Kelly wrote, per The Athletic's Pete Sampson "I am flying back to South Bend tonight to be able to meet with you in the morning but the news broke late today 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 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."
Kelly's transition to Baton Rouge comes at a fascinating time. The latest College Football Playoff rankings will be revealed Tuesday evening, and Notre Dame is expected to be just barely on the outside looking in with the fifth or sixth spot.
