t388

Full disclosure – I’m an ND fan. Years ago, when LSU hired Kelly I began lurking here for intel on the situation. Truthfully, I found the site and banter back and forth so insightful and fun that I continue to return. You might say I’ve somewhat become an “fan” of LSU. The passion is second to none.
I want to address some points in this post from the ND perspective and 10 years with Kelly.

Marcus Freeman is beloved at ND for many of the reasons Kelly eventually became disliked – many of the reasons your fans are seeing today.

Freeman has embraced the ND culture (right or wrong) and has 100% embraced the University, fans, and uniqueness of the program. Unlike Kelly who constantly complained about the stadium, the pre-game player Mass, the academic requirements, the Independence, the natural grass, and the players required to live in dorms their first year, Freeman has made no excuses and has leaned into those aspects ND. With Kelly, it was always something else, not him. With Freeman it is always him, not the surrounding principles of ND.

When Kelly was hired at ND I was thrilled, and truthfully, I appreciated him and all he did to get ND back into a place of competitiveness and relevancy. (I still appreciate him) He was a great coach at the perfect hire for ND given their situation before he arrived – he’s a program builder. What eventually grew old was his inability to take the next step. In big games his players seemed to tense up and play tight. The gameplan always felt like an effort to “not lose big” against the top tier team rather than play to win. I believe his personality leads to a very tense, scared to make a mistake football team – something LSU has NEVER been.

With Freeman the team plays loose and fast. In the final few years of Kelly’s time, the very things LSU fans are now experiencing wore thin with the ND faithful and when you’re as unlikable as he is, the goodwill leash is shorter and loses compound that feeling even more. You can deal with an a-hole if you’re 12-0. You can’t when the L’s stack up.

Kelly wasn’t liked, so the only way to be liked was to win – In the end it was apparent he wouldn’t win the games like an Indiana, Georgia, Penn State, playoff games, or compete with Ohio State. Yes, ND lost the title game last year (most would have, OSU was loaded) but the season before they lost on a 1 second TD to the Buckeyes, and in every other big game they were right there in the end. Furthermore, ND as a brand to recruits and pundits is far more likable with Freeman than it was under Kelly. In today’s world of NIL and recruiting that is massive.

To summarize this long-winded response – Kelly is a good coach that can build a program, but he’s disliked and if you don’t win it’s not enough to overcome his press conferences and personality. LSU is in my opinion the most fun, loose, fast playing program in CFB. They (you all) deserve a coach that brings that back – not a politician who makes excuses and hits you with constant coach speak. It doesn’t take much to win at LSU and I don’t believe LSU needs to be rebuilt. Hell, in one year you could be in a title game with LSU. Kelly’s issue has always been likability and big games; two things LSU has based their entire existence and program on. LSU is better than Kelly and it’s simply not a fit.

Don’t kill me on here – I enjoy the board and the passion you all have. It’s what makes LSU and CFB great.