Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU in controversial fashion following the 2021 college football season. The Fighting Irish fan base understandably ripped the head coach for his departure. Kelly said at the time that he felt that LSU gave him a better chance of competing for national

The program he left, Notre Dame, is preparing for the College Football Playoff national championship against Ohio State on Jan. 20 in Atlanta, under the guidance of Marcus Freeman. The program Kelly joined after leaving Notre Dame in November 2021, LSU, missed this year's College Football Playoff for the third consecutive season under his watch.

It’s tempting to say Freeman has surpassed Kelly at Notre Dame, but he’s not there yet. Notre Dame is right where it was under Kelly — in the final four. Kelly led Notre Dame to the four-team playoff twice. In 2012, Kelly and Notre Dame appeared in the national title game.

Former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly left the program on bad terms in 2021 when he went to LSU, but he doesn't seem to hold ill feelings towards the team where he coached for 12 years. In fact, Kelly is publicly rooting for the Fighting Irish in the National Championship game vs.