LSU hires Notre Dame's Brian Kelly as head coach

LSU hired Brian Kelly from Notre Dame to be its next head coach, the school announced Tuesday.

Kelly signed a 10-year, $95-million contract with incentives. The Tigers also paid the $5-million buyout to hire Kelly, ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reports.

"I could not be more excited to join a program with the commitment to excellence, rich traditions, and unrivaled pride and passion of LSU Football," Kelly said.

Kelly met with Notre Dame players for 11 minutes on Tuesday prior to departing for LSU, Rittenberg notes.

Kelly, the winningest head coach in Notre Dame history, is 113-40 since joining the Fighting Irish in 2010. The school has reached the national championship game once and was selected to the College Football Playoff twice over his tenure.

"Brian Kelly is the epitome of a winner," athletic director Scott Woodward said in a statement. "He has built and sustained success at every program he's led, from multiple undefeated regular seasons and National Coach of the Year honors to national titles and College Football Playoff berths. His credentials and consistency speak for themselves."

The 60-year-old brushed aside talk of possibly leaving his post with the Fighting Irish last week, telling reporters: "Unless that fairy godmother comes by with that $250-million check, my wife would want to take a look at it first," according to The Athletic's Matt Fortuna.

The 60-year-old has also enjoyed stints as head coach at Grand Valley State (1991-2003), Central Michigan (2004-06), and Cincinnati (2006-09). His 263 career wins are the third-most among active FBS coaches.

LSU had been linked to several coaching candidates since agreeing to part ways with Ed Orgeron following its 2021 season, including Lincoln Riley, who left Oklahoma for USC on Sunday.

The Tigers are just two years removed from their national championship campaign. However, the team has struggled lately, posting an 11-11 record over the last two seasons.