CFB insider links Brian Kelly to potential Big Ten opening
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Could Brian Kelly eventually make his way to the Big Ten?
Kelly has taken on broadcasting but is “very, very motivated” to return to coaching at some point, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman. One program that could be in play is Rutgers. That’s if it parts ways with Greg Schiano, whose “future looks dire” after losses to UMass and Boston College.
There are some intriguing connections between Kelly and Rutgers’ administration, too.
“Rutgers president Bill Tate and athletic director Keli Zinn came to New Jersey after working at LSU,” Feldman said. “Kelly, who won more games at Notre Dame than any other coach, did fizzle out in Baton Rouge, but the Rutgers job would be a much different dynamic, and Kelly is very comfortable in the Northeast.”
Kelly, who was born and raised in Boston, would be taking a job that’s a significant step down from Notre Dame and LSU. That said, it would put him at a program with significantly lower expectations than the ones he had at his previous stops. That could certainly ignite excitement — and lead to an influx of resources — for a Scarlet Knights team that hasn’t reached double-digit wins since Schiano coached them to an 11-2 mark in 2006 during his first stint.
Meanwhile, Rutgers faces a heavily favored USC team in Week 3 on Saturday.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
