Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire.
According to a report, Brian Kelly left the Fighting Irish for LSU to be replaced by Marcus Freeman.
Mick Assaf, a former walk-on running back at Notre Dame, was the first to report the news.
The Athletic's Ross Dellenger reports that Tommy Rees, who was offered the job at LSU, will stay at Notre Dame.
Despite a College Football Playoff appearance still being on the table, Kelly decided to leave the Fighting Irish. He signed a 10-year contract with LSU to take over.
The 60-year-old Massachusetts native enjoyed success at Notre Dame for 12 years. He had seven seasons with double-digit wins, including the 2012 and 2013 seasons, when the NCAA voided 21 wins due to violations. The program had a 5-5 mark in bowl games.
Jack Swarbrick, the athletic director of Notre Dame, said he was not surprised by Kelly's decision to leave and that the program immediately received a lot of outreach.
"It's about the right candidate," he said. "When we find the person we think is the right one to lead this program and have the right conversations with him, that's all that matters." That's fine if that happens tomorrow or in a few weeks.
The Fighting Irish were prepared to move forward based on the strong foundation put in place during the Kelly era.
A former Ohio State and NFL player, he retired in 2010 because of a heart condition.
He's become one of the top defensive minds in the country during his time as an assistant with Ohio State, Kent State, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame. He was the Irish's defensive coach for the 2021 season.
The program will have some valuable continuity after five straight seasons with at least 10 wins, thanks to the elevation to the top of the staff of new head coach.
His focus will now be on helping the Irish win their first national championship in over two decades.
