Brian Kelly’s tenure as head coach at LSU came to an abrupt end last season, as he was fired after back-to-back losses to SEC rivals Vanderbilt and Texas A&M. The Aggies loss in particular was the breaking point, LSU was blown out 49-25 in Death Valley, dropping to 5-3 on the season and already out of the College Football Playoff picture.
But Kelly is reportedly very motivated to return to the sideline and has been rumored as a potential candidate for several Power 4 jobs. Recently, attention has turned to one Big Ten program that’s already off to a brutal 0-2 start to the season: the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
“Rutgers has been the biggest dud of the 2026 season. The Scarlet Knights are 0-2 with losses to UMass and Boston College, programs that went a combined 2-22 last year,” wrote Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. “Rutgers coach Greg Schiano did some terrific things with this program, but right now, his future there looks dire. Following USC, the Scarlet Knights get FCS Howard but then follow that with Indiana. Another 60-something coaching retread who could find a Power 4 landing spot is former LSU and Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly. The 64-year-old Boston native is very, very motivated to get back on the sidelines, we’re told.”
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Kelly never lived up to the hype at LSU. He won 10 games in each of his first two seasons as the Tigers’ head coach but steadily declined year after year, with the defense bleeding points by the time it all came crashing down. Across four seasons at LSU, he went 34-14, an unacceptable record for a program that demands national championships.
But before that, he rebuilt Notre Dame into a powerhouse. He coached the Irish for 12 years and went 113-40 over that span. He put together seven double-digit win campaigns and won multiple national coach of the year honors during his time at Notre Dame. He’s still the school’s all-time wins leader, ahead of legendary coaches like Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz.
That’s why his name still holds value, especially for a Big Ten program like Rutgers. Kelly grew up only a few hours outside of New Jersey in Massachusetts and still has recruiting pull in the area.
After two rough losses to UMass and Boston College, Rutgers has put itself in a tough spot, and if the losses keep piling up, it won’t be long before the program looks for a replacement for Greg Schiano. That moment may come sooner rather than later, with the Scarlet Knights set to face the No. 12 USC Trojans on Saturday.
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