Live updates: Brian Kelly out, Notre Dame football begins coaching search

Don’t pinch yourself. You’re not dreaming.

In a stunner, Brian Kelly has left his post as Notre Dame’s head coach after 12 years to take over for Ed Orgeron at LSU. The news broke Monday evening. So much has already happened since then.

Follow along below for BlueandGold.com’s live updates of reports, articles and events that have unfolded in relation to Kelly’s departure and Notre Dame’s coaching search.

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Former Notre Dame defensive tackle Chris Zorich was joined by former Irish players linebacker Wes Pritchett, wide receiver Tim Brown, running back Rusty Setzer, wide receiver Rocket Ismail and linebacker Corey Mays to discuss Kelly leaving for LSU and what’s next for Notre Dame at head coach.

John Brice of FootballScoop reported that Notre Dame is focusing on two candidates for the job: Marcus Freeman and Luke Fickell. The case for Notre Dame director of athletics Jack Swarbrick to choose the former is clear, Brice wrote.

“Swarbrick recognizes the Irish program isn’t broken,” Brice said. “Selecting Freeman wold be a vote for preserving what Brian Kelly had established and seeking to refine or modernize it a bit.”

The case for Fickell needs no elaborate explanation. He’s coached Cincinnati to a perfect 12-0 record this season and is likely one win away from getting a Group of Five team into the College Football Playoff.

Notre Dame’s search could move extremely quickly; are Marcus Freeman and Luke Fickell the Irish's top choices?

Notre Dame checked in at No. 6 in the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings. Theoretically, they only need two teams ranked No. 2 through No. 5 ahead of them to lose to sneak into the top four.

CFP chair Gary Barta said it might not be so simple in the wake of Kelly leaving.

“Our protocol does include the ability to evaluate how a player or coach not being available to participate might affect the outcome of a game,” Barta said on ESPN’s rankings show.

STORY: Brian Kelly’s Notre Dame exit could be CFP top 25 résumé-altering move too

BlueandGold.com’s Mike Singer reports Notre Dame strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis is expected to remain with the Fighting Irish.

Balis has held the title of director of football performance since 2017. He has held the head strength and conditioning position at three other schools — Utah (2004), Virginia (2007-08), Mississippi State (2009-13) and UConn (2014-16). Balis has also been an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Houston (2001-02), Utah (2003) and Florida (2005-06).

Balis addressed the team Tuesday afternoon.

Joel Klatt offered some perspective to college football fans that do not appreciate the rising salaries of head coaches.

“Does it really matter when someone puts one hundred million dollars in front of you if it is the best fit?” Klatt asked. “I think [Brian Kelly] was 100 percent honest with everyone in the room a while back when he said unless there is a fairy godmother that writes some blank check, I will be at Notre Dame. The fairy godmother was wearing purple and yellow, so that wasn’t a lie. Every single one of us is for sale in our careers, I am for sale. That is just the nature of it.

“The other aspect of that is the contractual piece. College football is broken. Lincoln Riley just admitted to me. I asked him, ‘Is it discouraging that you have to make this decision within this structure that makes you out to be the bad guy for doing exactly what everyone else would do?’ Yes, that is the problem. We don’t have an overarching entity that is overlooking the whole, so everyone is looking out for their own best interest.”

(The Notre Dame talk starts at 3:48 in the video below)

Thamel broke the news that LSU was going to hire Brian Kelly and is one of the most trusted reporters in the country. In an update on Tuesday afternoon, he mentioned that athletics director Jack Swarbrick won’t have a long list of candidates.

Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell, Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald, Baylor’s Dave Aranda, Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson, Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck and Boston College’s Jeff Hafley are the names Thamel mentioned. He noted the latter three have recently signed extensions.

The report states current Irish coordinators Marcus Freeman and Tommy Rees are the in-house candidates but that "Notre Dame isn’t a place for a head coach to learn on the job."

Campbell, Fickel and Fitzgerald are the three most likely candidates, per Thamel.

Some of the latest news, notes and what Singer is hearing reported for BlueandGold.com subscribers. Is there buzz about Marcus Freeman landing the Notre Dame head coach position?

UPDATE: Notre Dame head coach rumor mill (Tues. Nov. 29 3:30 p.m. ET update)

Notre Dame has reportedly honed in on Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell as its best option. Fickell’s Bearcats are playing for an American Athletic Conference championship this week, and they beat Notre Dame in South Bend earlier this season.

The Naples (Fla.) High School product appeared to be the first player from the class of 2022 to decommit from the Irish following the news of Kelly leaving.

STORY: Four-star DB Devin Moore backs off Notre Dame pledge

Fickell attempted to downplay the idea of entertaining a potential offer from Notre Dame. Fickell has been widely mentioned as a top candidate for the position.

The Athletic reported Kelly had conversations with Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman about teaming up with him in Baton Rouge.

Quick-hitters: Jack Swarbrick discusses Notre Dame’s head-coaching vacancy

What Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick is looking for in Irish’s next head coach

Why Jack Swarbrick was ‘not surprised’ Brian Kelly left Notre Dame

Kelly signed a 10-year, $95 million deal with the Tigers according to the university’s release.

Look at the profile picture, header photo, location and bio. Enough said.

After a brief meeting with players who showed up at the facility around 7, Kelly drove off in a blue luxury SUV at 7:12.

STORY: Sights, sounds from Notre Dame: Brian Kelly bids farewell to Irish players

Has Freeman been a head coach before? No. Could that change in the next week or so? Absolutely.

Why Marcus Freeman makes sense to replace Brian Kelly at Notre Dame

There wasn’t much coming from the Notre Dame coaching staff in the immediate hours after the news originally broke, but special teams coordinator and associate head coach Brian Polian tweeted a heartfelt message early Tuesday morning.

Notre Dame players Kyle Hamilton, Connor Ratigan, KJ Wallace and Cam Hart record a weekly podcast called Inside The Garage. They released an emergency episode late Monday night/early Tuesday morning to give their opinions on their coach leaving before a potential College Football Playoff game.

Notre Dame damage control started fairly quickly from within the administration according to The Athletic’s Matt Fortuna.

Here are the names of coaches the staff at BlueandGold.com believe should be considered to replace Kelly.

BlueandGold.com’s Greg Ladky, Mike Singer and Tim Hyde went live for more than an hour to provide context, analysis and commentary of Kelly’s move from Notre Dame to LSU.

Pete Sampson of The Athletic released a lengthy message from Kelly addressed to Notre Dame players. He told them he was leaving but that he wanted to share the news formally in person Tuesday morning at 7.

As to be expected, the initial reaction from current Notre Dame players was one of shock and surprise from true freshmen to seniors and many in between.

Twitter reaction: Brian Kelly leaving Notre Dame for LSU

What they’re saying: Media and former Irish players react to Kelly’s move

Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel set the Notre Dame coaching carousel into motion with a tweet saying LSU could announce Kelly as its next head coach as soon as Tuesday.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly leaving for LSU

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