Brian Kelly Consults for Memphis Tigers Eight Months After LSU Firing

Brian Kelly has been consulting for the Memphis Tigers football program eight months after his dismissal as head coach at LSU. Lane Kiffin replaced Kelly one month after the firing and signed a seven-year, $91 million contract. Kelly has not been paid for his work with Memphis.

Memphis head coach Charles Huff said he spoke with Kelly, former Texas coach Charlie Strong, and former Florida State and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher about elevating the program to a power conference. “I got on a call with Brian, and we talked for about an hour,” Huff stated.

Huff added that Kelly described growth in recruiting departments and noted that rules on who can recruit on the road continue to change.

“Talking to him was really good, because there's a lot of humility in him,” Huff said. ” Huff said the conversation helped him consider issues Memphis might face that it has not yet encountered. He left open the possibility of contacting Kelly again near the end of the regular season for assistance with recruiting and the transfer portal.

Kelly holds a career record of 297-109-2, nine conference championships, nine bowl wins, and two Division II titles. He coached 36 seasons at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, and LSU. Observers expect Kelly to pursue another major college head-coaching position.

Potential openings cited for next season include Baylor, Florida State, South Carolina, USC, and Wisconsin.