Brian Kelly 'never thought' he could pack and drive a U-Haul until LSU firing
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Just over six months ago, Brian Kelly found himself without a job after being fired by LSU midway through his fourth season with the program.
What transpired shortly after being let go for the first time as a head coach was a series of firsts, like operating a moving truck.
“I never thought I’d be able to pack a U-Haul and drive it,” Kelly told USA TODAY Sports during an interview with Sports Seriously. “Listen, I’m feeling good about myself. … There’s no pictures anywhere, but in fact I did.”
Kelly went 34-14 at LSU across parts of four seasons, although he never reached the College Football Playoff. He lost three of his last four games, and was fired after the Tigers were walloped by Texas A&M 49-25 on the road on Oct. 25.
The former Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Central Michigan and Grand Valley State head coach also made it clear he intends on coaching again. He noted, too, that his time away from coaching has helped him reflect on his firing ahead of his next opportunity should it arise.
“I wanna be back coaching, that’s what I love to do,” he said. “But this has been really good from that perspective too. And nobody wants to hear that. There’s no way (athletic directors) say, ‘Oh, Coach Kelly, he’s really good at driving U-Hauls, let’s hire him.’ All of these things go to having a chance to be much more reflective, to have that chance to reconnect. I love being with my family. And so, that makes you better as a person and it allows you to have a better vision and clarity as you get this opportunity.”
Kelly said he can be selective about his next coaching job (LSU owes him $54 million from buying out his contract). While acknowledging that college football is in a “rebuilding phase,” he said he’s focused on finding a fit that still values player relationships as a key factor.
“I think what’s clear to me is I miss the relationships,” Kelly said. “I miss being with the players and that to me is what drives me. That’s my passion in wanting to do that. … But for me, it’s not necessarily about the right fit as much as where are we going to be with college football. That allows me to build those relationships with players.
“And so I think that that’s really important. And at the end of the day, for me to be at a place where relationships are still part of the process of being in college football.”
Since being fired, Kelly has downsized his house and figured out how to pay bills, he said. And while having extra time to take up normal activities like driving a U-Haul, he’s enjoying his time off before getting back into football.
“I think first and foremost, it’s an opportunity to go from being in a hurry, every minute of the day, to being more reflective and being able to reconnect,” he said. “Look, I’ve been able to reconnect with my wife, which is awesome. After 35 years of being in the business, you’re going in different directions.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brian Kelly learned to pack, drive U-Haul until LSU firing
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