Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly is leaving the Fighting Irish to accept the same job at LSU, multiple media outlets reported Monday night.
Kelly, 60, became the winningest coach in Notre Dame history earlier this season, passing Knute Rockne, and won 113 of 153 games in 12 years at Notre Dame after previously coaching Central Michigan and Cincinnati. He took the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff twice.
Kelly’s official record at Notre Dame is 92-39 due to wins vacated because of NCAA sanctions.
In the latest surprise of the college football coaching carousel, he heads to a Southeastern Conference program not two years removed from winning a national championship under coach Ed Orgeron.
LSU and Orgeron agreed in October that they would part ways after the season. The Tigers finished the regular season 6-6, including an upset of then-No. 15 Texas A&M, to become bowl-eligible.
Notre Dame finished its season 11-1 and is not yet out of the running for a College Football Playoff berth.
Reports said an agreement between Kelly and LSU is likely to be finalized in the next 24 hours, and Kelly had not communicated his plans to his assistant coaches in South Bend, Ind., when the news broke.
