With 113 wins in 12 seasons based on on-field records, Brian Kelly is the winningest coach in Notre Dame’s history. Despite that, there are mixed feelings among Notre Dame fans towards him based on how he left the program and a statement he made. Now, Kelly has labeled the popular narrative as to why he exited Notre Dame as a misconception, clarifying his controversial statement.

“Well, I think I was mischaracterized only in the sense that I didn’t leave Notre Dame because they couldn’t win a national championship,” Kelly said in an interview on The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast. “Those words never came out of my mouth. What I said is if I’m going to leave, I’m going to go to a place that can win a national championship. And that was perceived as being, ‘oh, he doesn’t think he can win one here.’ So, I think we all know this, dipping my toes into the media a little bit. There’s never a great time. The timing stinks, and it stinks mostly on the players, but it’s not easy on the coaches, either.

“It’s a difficult process where one school’s trying to get themselves up and off the mat, and the other school’s like, wait a second, ‘where are you going?’ So, it’s never an easy situation. I don’t think I’m the first one that’s caught in that situation. I think it’s one that is very difficult when you decide to make that move.”

Fans do not like seeing their beloved coaches leave, especially someone like Kelly, who helped elevate the program. Kelly was hired by AD Jack Swarbirck to “fix a broken program.” And that, he did to the best of his ability and resources, leading them to two undefeated seasons and two College Football Playoff berths.

But when the LSU Tigers came knocking, Kelly opened, as he felt he and Notre Dame had gotten to a point where both parties had given their best, and nothing better could come out of the relationship. Perhaps his most controversial statement was in the spring of 2022, when he said he “wanted to be in the environment where I have the resources to win a national championship.”

His comment infuriated the fans, who pointed to his 10-year, $95 million contract and labeled him a money grabber. Notre Dame’s AD also seemed unsatisfied with the decision. But Kelly wanted to leave, but even at LSU, things did not end well, as he was unable to get to the ultimate goal – National Championship.