Brian Kelly made his first national interview on Wednesday with syndicated radio host Dan Patrick, and explained his decision to leave Notre Dame for LSU, and his thinking behind it.

Kelly said he was a little tired, but added that he had some chicory in his coffee ahead of his first press conference. Asked about what he had at Notre Dame and whether LSU could give him more, Kelly responded.

“It really didn’t have anything to do with what Notre Dame couldn’t give me,” he said. “As much as another opportunity, another challenge, to come down in the SEC, to play in arguably the best conference in the country and the resources here are incredible. I just think another opportunity, one where you’re going to be challenged week in and week out amongst the best and I was at that time in my career where I was looking for that new challenge, Dan.”

Kelly said he was focused on his team, and that there wasn’t a “wandering eye” but “we’re curious, we’re coaches, we’re always looking for that next challenge.”

Patrick then asked Kelly about recruiting limitations, admissions and discipline factors that may be issues at Notre Dame.

“I think each school has distinctions, right,” he said. “The distinctions at Notre Dame were real and they are incredible, but LSU has distinctions as well, in terms of its geographical base, its ability to recruit the state of Louisiana … the facilities here for football. So I don’t think it’s one that’s the negative over the positive as much as we did quite well obviously at Notre Dame given who Notre Dame is and the distinctions Notre Dame has.”

Kelly also pointed out that Notre Dame has had 5 consecutive 10-plus win seasons, only Alabama did that along with the Fighting Irish.