Former LSU coach Brian Kelly joining CBS booth for Mountain West games in 2026
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Former LSU coach Brian Kelly won’t be back on the sidelines in 2026 — but he’ll still be involved with college football.
Kelly will be on CBS’ college football coverage this season, Front Office Sports reported Wednesday, June 24. Kelly will be a part of a three-man booth for Mountain West games while serving as a regular guest on CBS Sports Network’s weekly show “Inside College Football,” the report said.
The 64-year-old former head coach was fired by LSU midseason in 2025 after the Tigers were blown out by Texas A&M, marking their third loss in four games. LSU then replaced Kelly with former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin this offseason.
He was paid a $54 million buyout from the school, although the contract stated he must seek employment opportunities in coaching or media to offset what LSU owes. He also was a part of CBS Sports Network’s NFL draft coverage.
One of the most successful coaches in recent memory, Kelly holds a 297-109-2 all-time record across stints at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and LSU, along with Division II Grand Valley State. The three-time Home Depot Coach of the Year winner told USA TODAY Sports recently he hopes to be back in coaching at some point.
“I wanna be back coaching, that’s what I love to do,” he said in April. “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.”
CBS’ top broadcast crew is also switching up this season, as play-by-play commentator Brad Nessler will be joined by Charles Davis instead of longtime analyst Gary Danielson, who retired after the 2025 season. CBS now has access to one Big Ten game per week, along with Mountain West games and Army-Navy each season, after it was out-bid by ABC and ESPN for SEC games.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brian Kelly to join CBS booth for Mountain West games in 2026 | Report
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