Reports about Brian Kelly’s impending Notre Dame exit appear to have caught even the coach’s inner circle off-guard.
News abruptly broke Monday night about Kelly’s decision to leave Notre Dame for LSU. While there had been a few stories about LSU’s interest in Kelly, they generally were not taken seriously, especially in light of what Kelly said last week.
Kelly’s exit was so sudden that many at Notre Dame didn’t know about it. Not only that, but it does not appear they heard about it from Kelly himself. Despite the news spreading widely, multiple Notre Dame staffers told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg that they have yet to hear from Kelly at all.
Multiple Notre Dame staff members still haven't heard from Brian Kelly about the expected departure to LSU.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 30, 2021
One Notre Dame assistant was actually out recruiting when the Kelly news broke.
This is usually how these things go, but Brian Kelly has ghosted everyone at Notre Dame. Just spoke to one assistant who saw reports on his phone tonight as he was exiting a recruit's home: "The news broke when I walked out of the house, so I look like a f—– a–hole."
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 30, 2021
High-level coaching departures tend to be messy. We heard similar stories coming out of Oklahoma just a day earlier. In that case, however, Lincoln Riley did meet with players and staff to inform them of his decision, even with how abrupt it was. It doesn’t appear Kelly did anything of the sort, and that’s going to leave a very sour taste in some people’s mouths.
Photo: Sep 28, 2019; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly waves to fans as he enters Notre Dame Stadium before the game against the Virginia Cavaliers. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
