Kelly is "rooting for" his old program heading into the National Championship Game, excited for his former players.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly left Notre Dame because he felt like he couldn’t win a national championship there. Well, the Fighting Irish are a win away from proving him very, very wrong.

Te'o was asked by Heisman voter and show host Zach Gelb if Marcus Freeman is a better coach for the Notre Dame job than Kelly. "Well, let me say this about Brian Kelly, Brian Kelly is a good offensive-minded coach," Te'o, now an NFL Network analyst, said. "He knows what it takes to have a successful offense.

One team that wasn’t in the CFP during the 2024 season was the LSU Tigers, however, the tide could be changing for the Tigers in 2025. After winning less than 10 games for the first time under Brian Kelly in his third season,

In total, Brian Kelly went 92-39 at Notre Dame over 10 seasons. That record includes vacated wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons due to a violation of academic misconduct. The 2012 season ended with a loss in the national championship game.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to face off in the national championship against Ohio State on Monday night. This will be the program's first title

The Fighting Irish were coming off their worst three-year stretch in some time when Kelly was hired. Through his 12 years in South Bend, Kelly compiled seven records of 10 or more wins and coached 55 NFL Draft picks, including 10 first-rounders.

Notre Dame is hoping to end a 36-year national championship drought when it meets Ohio State in the College Football Playoff title game on Monday, and

When Kelly took the job at LSU, debate ensued. Notre Dame fans felt slighted by Kelly’s departure and wanted to prove that South Bend was a place with the resources to win a national title. Freeman got the Irish close, but not any closer than Kelly did in 2012.

This loss for Notre Dame to Ohio State in the national title game wasn't Alabama 2013 all over again, but there were similarites. The differences were huge, though.

In total, Notre Dame has gone 33-9 under Freeman, with wins in the Gator Bowl, Sun Bowl, and three College Football Playoff games. Over that same period, LSU has gone 29-11 under Kelly, and has never reached the CFP.