Brian Kelly left the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for what he thought were greener pastures with the LSU Tigers. What he didn’t know was that was the best thing that could have happened to the Fighting Irish as fans celebrate a return to national relevance under Marcus Freeman.
College Football Playoff Run Under Marcus Freeman Proves Notre Dame Is Better Off Without Brian Kelly
It was an early December evening when members of the Notre Dame football team got a late-night text from then-head coach Brian Kelly. It stated that he was leaving the program, and there was a meeting to discuss the matter at 7 a.m. the next morning.
The meeting was short and there was little explanation. Kelly was on his way to LSU and the SEC, and the Irish were left without a head coach.
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Just a few days later, the school announced the hiring of then-defensive coordinator Freeman as the new head coach. Fast forward to 2025, and the Irish are in their first national title game since 2012 and on the verge of their first championship since 1989.
What Kelly got Right and Wrong at Notre Dame
Over the past couple of days, Kelly has gotten a lot of criticism for his time in South Bend.
Certainly, when you look at how things have transpired for him at LSU this past season, the contrast between the Tigers and Notre Dame’s current situation couldn’t be starker.
However, his 12-year tenure was really good when you look at the whole picture. His 113 wins are the best in school history. He went 10-6 in bowl games and led the Irish to two College Football Playoff appearances and a BCS National Championship Game.
When it comes to big games, though, Kelly is a below-average coach. In his career with four different FBS schools (Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, and LSU), Kelly is 35-37 against the top 25 teams, which includes a 7-18 mark against teams in the top ten. He is 0-4 against top-10 teams in bowl games.
It’s not just that his teams lost most of the time in big games, they lose big. In those 18 losses to top-10 teams, the average margin of defeat is 18 points. His defenses have given up 40 points or more nine times. Despite being known as an offensive coach, his teams average 21.8 points per game against the top ten. Plus, they’ve scored over 30 points just six times.
How Freeman Has Established Success in South Bend
Since taking over, Freeman has been a breath of fresh air in South Bend. Despite some tough losses to Group of Five teams in the Marshall Thundering Herd and Northern Illinois Huskies, he has been excellent in the big games. He is 5-4 against top-ten competition. He also has a 14-5 record versus the top 25 that includes a nine game win streak.
Looking inside those nine games against the top 10, the average margin of defeat in the four losses is 6.75 points, and the average margin of victory in the five wins is 15. Freeman’s teams have proven they can be competitive in these big-game situations.
His .786 (33-9) win percentage is the sixth-best in school history. His five bowl wins are tied for the most at Notre Dame with Kelly and the head coach of the previous national championship team, Lou Holtz. Freeman is starting to reach the pinnacle of the coaching practice at one of its most storied programs.
When Kelly left for Baton Rouge, he certainly didn’t leave the program in disarray. There was a firm foundation, and Freeman has done his best to take it to another level. It is difficult to compare the two at this point. Kelly’s teams were consistently good, but they ran into the juggernauts that were the Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide at the worst possible times.
Freeman’s teams got a big leg up with their wins over the Georgia Bulldogs and Penn State Nittany Lions to get to the national title game. But the stink of those losses to Marshall and Northern Illinois at home has slightly tarnished his reputation.
Time will tell who will have the better reign in South Bend. However, for the time being, and with a win in the national title game, Freeman might have the advantage.
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