According to LSU insider Matt Moscona, amid the usual rumors that Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh may be leaving Ann Arbor for an NFL coaching job, LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly has emerged as a probable favorite to replace Harbaugh.
Moscona expressed his belief in the rumor in an article published by AthlonSports.
“If Jim Harbaugh returns to the NFL, Michigan is open.” Brian Kelly would leave LSU for Michigan if Michigan pursued him. “I am certain of it,” Moscona stated.
In November, Texas A&M insider Billy Liucci expressed a similar sentiment. Kelly’s future was debated on “Pregaming the SEC” with Jacob Hester and Chris Doering, who broke the news of Jimbo Fisher’s firing.
“A couple of people in coaching told me, ‘Hey, keep an eye out for Brian Kelly.'” He’s not quite right in Baton Rouge. “He might be interested in that Michigan job if it becomes available,” Liucci said on the show.
Despite these reports, Kelly stated that a win in the final game of the regular season would be his final coaching job. Kelly addressed why he wants to stay at LSU in a SaturdayTradition story.
“I want to go to LSU.” I enjoy it here. “I’m not going anywhere,” Kelly said during the postgame press conference on November 25. “This is my final stop on Coach Kelly’s caravan. ‘Well, you know he’s just saying that to get the appropriate soundbite,’ you always say. But I’m not going to say anything that will put me in a bind, but this is it. “This is where I want to be, where I want to coach.”
Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh is stuck in contract negotiations because of a clause that prevents him from working in the NFL.
For the previous three years as Michigan’s head coach, there have been persistent rumors about a possible departure for the NFL. Harbaugh stayed put after those rumors, but they are circulating again.
In light of this, Michigan is hoping to prevent this from happening by including a stipulation in his new contract that prohibits him from shopping around or accepting an NFL coaching position while still at Michigan.
According to Ian Rapaport, he was given a contract of $125 million over ten years with the aforementioned proviso. This clause, according to reports, is preventing Harbaugh from resigning.
Despite these claims, Harbaugh hinted at a comeback during the team’s postseason awards ceremony. A local news anchor said that he addressed the team in a way that implied his return for the 2024 season.
Brian Kelly, the head coach of the LSU Tigers, has had success at many large programs, and he would strike the ground running at Michigan.
Kelly has the chance to post two 10-win seasons in his first two years as the head coach of the LSU Tigers if he wins the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Day against the Wisconsin Badgers.
Kelly not only built a winning team in his first two years at LSU, but he also turned a transfer quarterback into a Heisman Trophy winner in his first year on the squad. Under Kelly, both quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Malik Nabers enjoyed record seasons.
Nabers has the all-time catches record at LSU, surpassing outstanding receivers like Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. Daniels is the first player in FBS history to have rushed for 3,000 yards while passing for 12,000 yards. Despite an impressive statistical record at Arizona State, Daniels had his greatest season under Kelly.
The only thing keeping LSU from becoming a national title contender was their defense. Kelly would inherit one of the greatest defenses in the country if he accepted the job at Michigan. If Kelly can take Michigan’s offense to the next level while also maintaining the top-ranked defense, the Wolverines could be a difficult team to predict in 2024.
