Brian Kelly

Notre Dame’s former head coach for 11-years, Brian Kelly has been praised by Scott Woodward, LSU athletic director, as “the epitome of a winner.” Since starting out as a linebacker on the club football team at Assumption College in 1979, Kelly’s football career has come a long way over his 40 years of coaching at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, most notably Notre Dame, and recently LSU. Throughout his time as Notre Dame’s head coach, Kelly was named 3x Big East Coach of the Year, 3x Home Depot Coach of the Year selected by ESPN and ABC, and ACC Coach of the Year in 2020. He ended his tenure with an outstanding 92-39 record and became the winningest coach in Notre Dame history. Kelly is highly regarded as one of the most consistent coaches in football history.

Kelly is married to his wife, Paqui, and the two have three children together. After Paqui faced two fights against different types of cancer, the couple founded the Kelly Cares Foundation in 2007 and have since donated over $5 million dollars to organizations that support health, education, and community needs. In his free time, Kelly enjoys sharing his love of football with his children and golfing, while he is also eager to explore further speaking opportunities.