Brian Kelly is in the mix for an open head coach role in the Big Ten. The former LSU football head coach landed on the hot board for Maryland, according to On3's Pete Nakos.
Maryland announced Wednesday that it fired Mike Locksley, who has held the head coaching role since December 2018. The news follows the Terps' 12th straight Big Ten loss, which they suffered on Saturday at home to Rutgers. They named longtime assistant Aazaar Abdul-Rahim the interim head coach while a national search begins for Locksley's replacement.
Kelly built a presence in media after his dismissal from LSU. He served as a commentator and studio analyst for CBS Sports throughout 2026. After the 2025 season, Kelly remained open to returning to coaching.
NEW: Brian Kelly
and UNLV's Dan Mullen are on the Maryland Head Coach Hot Board👀 (via @PeteNakos) More: https://t.co/WYKZ9RPYl8 https://t.co/AVWfQFG0sv pic.twitter.com/Omg23nUPh3
— On3 (@On3) October 21, 2026
With 40 years of coaching experience, Kelly maintains a strong history of winning through all college levels. He started with Grand Valley State in Division II, then jumped to Division I with Central Michigan. He spent 12 seasons with Notre Dame before taking the LSU job. The Worcester, MA, native boasts a 320-108-2 record as a head coach.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Could former LSU coach Brian Kelly land at open Big Ten school?
