On Sunday the LSU Tigers announced the firing of head coach Brian Kelly following the team’s loss to Texas A&M this weekend, putting another head coach on the market as the UCLA Bruins search for their next head coach.
Kelly will be receiving over $53 million in buyout money from the Tigers. He leaves LSU with a record of 34-14 but failed to lead the Tigers to the College Football Playoff. UCLA’s interim head coach Tim Skipper has had success since taking over for DeShaun Foster, leading the Bruins to a 3-2 record, but Saturday’s game against Indiana showed just how far away the Bruins’ program still is from contending.
Would it make sense for the Bruins to target Kelly? It’s at least worth the conversation. Kelly is 297-109-2 over his career at LSU, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Central Michigan and Grand Valley State. Kelly may not require a top of the line salary with LSU still paying him and he’s shown that he’s capable of raising the floor of a program, which he’s done at CIncinnati and Notre Dame.
Pro Football Network listed UCLA as one of the five potential landing spots for Kelly.
So far, the only pastures UCLA has seen are ones in some distant farmland far, far away from the City of Angels. The Bruins turned over the offensive coordinator keys to Jerry Neuheisel, son of former longtime college football coach and CBS Sports/SiriusXM college football commentator Rick Neuheisel,” Pro Football Network wrote. “The junior Neuheisel has had some success, but the Bruins were scorched 56-6 on Saturday by Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers. UCLA needs a name coach to lead the program. Kelly just might be the tonic needed at this time. UCLA administrators, though, will want to make sure Kelly’s coaching baggage gets checked out thoroughly.”
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: LSU fires Brian Kelly — could veteran coach be a fit for UCLA?
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
