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CHARLOTTE — Notre Dame is one win away from a long-awaited national championship victory, and the man who helped set the foundation for the program to reach the pinnacle of the sport is rooting like crazy for the Irish … even if most of their fans are still sour over how he exited the program three years ago.
Brian Kelly never won a national championship at Notre Dame, but the LSU coach is a firm believer the program can end its 36-year drought Monday night against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
“I’m happy for all those guys, I pull for them,” Kelly told CBS Sports as he exited an American Football Coaches Association meeting Tuesday in Charlotte. “A lot of the guys there that are on both sides of the ball, I recruited. Obviously I want to see those guys win it all, and I think they’re in a great position. Totally excited for those guys.”
Criticism has followed Kelly at every turn since he shocked the college football world by leaving Notre Dame for LSU in November 2021. His abrupt departure came only weeks after he became Notre Dame’s all-time wins leader. His 12-year reign atop one of the more prestigious programs in the country pushed the fervent fan base into an uproar, particularly when he stirred the echoes when he said he desired “to be in an environment where I have the resources to win a national championship.”
Nearly three years later, Kelly believes fans and media misinterpreted his words.
“They’re selling it the way they want to sell it,” he told CBS Sports. “Why do you leave Notre Dame? You leave Notre Dame because you’re taking another challenge. I took Notre Dame to championships. It’s just the way you want to twist it: ‘You only leave Notre Dame to go win a championship.’ I…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/brian-kelly-pulling-for-notre-dame-as-ex-irish-coach-addresses-backlash-over-comments-stemming-from-departure/
Author : Brandon Marcello
Publish date : 2025-01-14 20:01:00
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