‘Horrible Idea,’ ‘This Guy Sucks’ — CFB Fans Make Feelings Clear on Rumors of Brian Kelly’s Interest in Becoming Rutgers HC
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If Brian Kelly really wants back into college coaching, one of the sport’s strangest possible reunions with the Northeast is already being floated. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights have not fired Greg Schiano. But their 0-2 start has made his future an early-season storyline and put Kelly’s name into the conversation.
That combination was enough to get college football fans imagining Kelly in Piscataway, and plenty of them wanted no part of it.
CFB Fans Sound Off on Brian Kelly-Rutgers Rumors
Bruce Feldman reported that Brian Kelly is “very, very motivated” to return to the sideline and identified Rutgers Scarlet Knights as a potential fit if the job opens. Kelly also has ties to Rutgers leadership, as president William Tate and athletic director Keli Zinn previously worked at LSU.
Onefan wrote, “Horrible idea.”
Anotherfan added, “This guy sucks; what would he accomplish?”
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Benjamin Allbright took the discussion in a different direction,joking, “Can’t wait to hear Kelly’s fake New Jersey accent.”
That opened the door for exactly the kind of accent jokes longtime college football fans probably expected. Oneuser posted, “Brian Kelly at his introductory press conference,” alongside a GIF.
Anotherfan added, “Bruh gonna sound like Paulie Walnuts at a Rutgers basketball game.”
The Rutgers chatter comes less than a year after the LSU Tigers fired Kelly during his fourth season in Baton Rouge. He is working for CBS Sports in 2026, but Feldman’s report made clear that Kelly’s interest in returning to coaching is more than idle curiosity.
Greg Schiano’s Rough Start Fuels Coaching Speculation
Rutgers has given the rumor mill plenty to work with. The Scarlet Knights opened by losing 37-21 to the UMass Minutemen, then fell 28-21 to the Boston College Eagles after throwing four interceptions. Schiano consequently appeared in PFSN’s Week 2hot-seat discussion for the second straight week.
There has still been production inside the ugly start. KJ Duff erupted for 196 receiving yards and three touchdowns against UMass, earning a 93.3 PFSNWR Impact score after Week 1. He followed it with 137 yards and two more scores against Boston College, but Rutgers still entered Saturday’s matchup with the USC Trojans at 0-2.
Kelly would bring a résumé that looks unusual for a program like Rutgers. He went 92-39 at Notre Dame and later 34-14 at LSU, while Rutgers has not reached double-digit victories since Schiano’s 11-2 season in 2006.
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None of that means Kelly is taking the job, or even that a job is available. Schiano remains Rutgers’ head coach, and Feldman presented Rutgers as a possible landing spot rather than a completed pursuit.
The internet, naturally, did not wait for the paperwork. From “horrible idea” to Sopranos-inspired accent jokes, fans had already started rehearsing the Brian Kelly-at-Rutgers era before Rutgers had even decided whether there would be a vacancy.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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