Brian Kelly was among those 15 FBS head coaches who got the boot in 2025. When LSU fired him on October 26, 2025, after a 5-3 start, it marked something almost unthinkable. So what did a nearly five-decade, 300-win coach do when the headset came off? Apparently, he moved into a TV role.

The 64-year-old made his first post-LSU appearance on CBS Sports Network this week alongside Brent Stover, Kevin Carter, and Beanie Wells. He shared his opinion on Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. Most analysts have him pegged as a first-rounder, a likely top 10 pick, but the former LSU head coach went higher. 

“This is about the value of a running back being taken in the top five,” he said. “And if you ask Mike Denbrock, his offensive coordinator, who had Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers, two top-five picks, he believes this is the best player he’s ever had. So I think that puts it in perspective in terms of the value that he brings to any NFL roster.”

In the NFL, RBs are treated more like luxury items rather than league cornerstones. But now, as Brian Kelly said, that narrative may be cracking. You see it with Christian McCaffrey redefining versatility, while Saquon Barkley’s impact was so tremendous that the New York Giants still feel his absence. Kelly’s argument is this:

“We’re getting to that point now where value is starting to extend itself at this position because they’re superior athletes.”

Jeremiyah Love fits that “superior” description perfectly. At Notre Dame last season, he rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on just 199 carries. He even made 27 catches for 280 yards and three scores. On top of that, he endorsed himself with his NFL Combine performance in Indianapolis. At 6’0, 214 pounds, he clocked a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash, the second-fastest among RBs. Still, Brian Kelly went further.

“You can make the case that he’s going to change the locker room in the way that he comes to work every day,” he said, pointing at his ability to impact culture. “I just think he changes the temperature of the room. When he walks in, that locker room begins to change. And some of these (teams) that are picking second, third (overall), they need to change the temperature in that locker room.”

For all the endorsements on Love, Brian Kelly’s night wasn’t just about the Notre Dame standout. When the conversation turned to Garrett Nussmeier, his former QB at LSU, he tipped his hat. 

“I love him,” he said, pointing to the QB’s patience behind Jayden Daniels. “Could have very easily transferred in that period of time, like many others, and sought another opportunity. He wanted to be a Tiger; he wanted to play for LSU.”

If there’s one thing Brian Kelly keeps circling back to, it is commitment. And maybe that’s where things unraveled at LSU, and it makes you wonder if this media stint is just a pit stop. 

Will Brian Kelly return to coaching?

Brian Kelly himself has already hinted that he’s not ruling out a return to coaching, but it comes with conditions. He wants a change in the structure and stability. He wants a system that actually makes sense in the NIL and transfer portal era. Until then, he’s staying close to the game, watching film a couple of hours every day in his Florida home office.

This CBS role might look like a soft landing, but don’t confuse it with retirement. There’s a $54 million buyout in play, one that practically forces Brian Kelly to stay employed in some capacity. And according to reports, this is just the beginning because studio work, radio hits, and podcasts are all on the table. Behind the scenes, multiple programs have already reached out about consulting roles, including the Memphis Tigers football under Charles Huff.

But for all the criticism, all the headlines, and all the noise, Brian Kelly keeps coming back to one brutally honest line – “I didn’t win enough games.”

That’s his version of accountability after going 34-14 at LSU, which includes two 10-win seasons, a Heisman winner, and an SEC title game appearance. By most standards, that’s success, but the standard in Baton Rouge is different.