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Will Brian Kelly coach in 2027? 3 schools that make sense
Earlier this week, CBS Sports officially announced the addition of Brian Kelly to their analyst team. Kelly most recently served as LSU football's head coach from 2022-25 and was fired in October of 2025 after LSU suffered an embarrassing home loss to Texas A&M.
It will be a change for Kelly, who has spent the last 40 years on a football sideline. Kelly has said he wants to coach again, but it's unclear how much interest he received from schools in the most recent coaching carousel. Despite the way his LSU tenure ended, Kelly has a history of winning football games at every level of the sport and that could make him an attractive hire -- after the dust settles from the LSU mishap.
By next fall, Kelly could be ready to go again. Today we'll take a look at three schools that would make sense for Kelly in 2027. I've considered fit for Kelly and the chances these schools are looking for a coach come December. Let's jump in.
Rutgers
Greg Schiano is entering the sixth year of his second stint as Rutgers' head coach. All things considered, he's done a fine job. The Scarlet Knights made bowl games in 2023 and 2024, despite playing a brutal Big Ten schedule. But Rutgers went 5-7 last year and Schiano is turning 60. The president and athletic director who hired Schiano is no longer here, which can make it easier to move on from a longtime head coach.
The man now serving in the president role, William Tate, is the president who hired Kelly at LSU. Tate was a fan of Kelly's and reports indicated the two had a strong working relationship. That would make Kelly an immediate name to know if this job opened up.
Rutgers doesn't have much reason to fire Schiano right now, and he's not on the hot seat entering the year, but if the Scarlet Knights go 4-8, perhaps the administration will make a change.
Boston College
Things aren't looking great for Bill O'Brien at Boston College. BC went 2-10 last year and it's hard to find much reason to believe in a turnaround this year.
Kelly is from Massachusetts. He's spent most of his coaching career in the Midwest, but he got his start at Assumption College, where he also played. If Boston College does move on from O'Brien, I can see them wanting to move in a younger, innovative direction, but this football program isn't overflowing with money. Kelly could come at a lower price and sell his history of program building.
Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois will operate under an interim head coach in 2026 after Thomas Hammock took a job with the Seattle Seahawks in February. Technically, the job is already open. NIU is a step down from other schools on this list and we rarely see a coach of Kelly's stature end up in the Group of Six, but Kelly may not have a ton of options.
Kelly is familiar with the region and he's built up lower-level schools before. NIU may want to think outside of the box, but if the Huskies are looking for a proven name, then Kelly is worth a call.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Will Brian Kelly coach in 2027? 3 schools that make sense
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