Brian Kelly Recalls Tearing Down Apartment Complex for Dream Home at Notre Dame

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In a recent interview, former Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly revealed that he and his wife had just finished building their dream home near the Notre Dame campus, which required tearing down an apartment complex. Kelly said they had no intentions of leaving Notre Dame at the time, as he had already cemented himself as the program's all-time winningest coach. However, Kelly ended up departing Notre Dame in late 2021 to become the head coach at LSU, a move that surprised many in the college football world.

Why it matters

Kelly's decision to leave Notre Dame, where he had built a successful program, for the LSU job was one of the more surprising coaching moves in recent college football history. His comments about tearing down an apartment complex to build his dream home near the Notre Dame campus provide additional context around his mindset and connection to the school prior to his departure.

The details

Kelly revealed that he and his wife had just finished building their dream home near the Notre Dame campus, which they could see the Golden Dome from. In order to build this home, they had to tear down an apartment complex. At the time, Kelly was the winningest coach in modern Notre Dame history, leading the Irish to multiple College Football Playoff appearances. However, Kelly ended up leaving Notre Dame in late 2021, when the team was 11-1 and still had a path to the CFP, to become the head coach at LSU.

• Kelly and his wife finished building their dream home near Notre Dame's campus.
• Kelly left Notre Dame to become the head coach at LSU in late November 2021.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Kelly's decision to leave Notre Dame for LSU is still being analyzed by college football fans and analysts, as it was a surprising move given the success he had built in South Bend.