Now that the LSU Tigers have parted ways with former head coach Brian Kelly, we are seeing more and more of his past players coming out to give true insight into his character. That includes former Notre Dame players as well, outing Kelly for the person they saw each and every day. It appears that Kelly, unsurprisingly, wasn’t the most popular coach of all time.

During his time in South Bend from 2009 to 2021, the Fighting Irish fanbase became incredibly frustrated with Kelly. Despite a good overall record and a solid form of stability, Notre Dame was a program that earned a reputation for winning every game they should, but never winning the big one. That inability to win big games wasn’t why the fans developed such a distaste for the head coach.

Losing big games isn’t fun, but hatred isn’t created because of that. The distaste was born because Kelly garnered an even worse reputation as an unlikable person who constantly rubbed people the wrong way. That wasn’t just with the people of South Bend, either. The LSU fans, coaches, and players all got some insight into Kelly’s personal shortcomings.

That includes former LSU safety Matthew Langlois, who was forced to medically retire following the 2023 season. It has since been deleted, but Langlois had some choice words for Kelly on X recently.

“I was FORCED to medically retire before I could get a 2nd or 3rd opinion,” Langlois wrote. “When I was playing very well before my injury, I’d hear from Coach Kelly quite often. The second I got injured, not a word since. Genuinely one of the worst humans I’ve been around, ever.”

The Brian Kelly impact

Those are harsh words, but unfortunately, this is not a foreign opinion out there about Kelly. We have heard these types of stories before, and have heard few give glowing reviews of their former head coach. Coaches can leave their mark on their players, and it goes far beyond their win-loss record. Kelly hasn’t left the best mark.

Langlois originally signed with the Tigers in the 2021 recruiting class out of New Roads (La.) Catholic of Pointe Coupee. The in-state standout was a part of the final recruiting class under former head coach Ed Orgeron, but he was let go during his freshman season. Langlois was forced to learn Kelly’s habits firsthand, without a choice in the matter. It appears things started on solid footing, but quickly unraveled for him.

Unfortunately for Langlois, he missed the majority of the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to multiple injuries, including an ACL tear during that final season. In total, the 6-0, 200-pound safety managed to play in 11 total games, mostly on special teams. Langlois finished his career with one total tackle for the Tigers.

For the folks in South Bend, there are many nice things to say about current head coach Marcus Freeman. While he is an impressive coach who continues to improve, Freeman’s reputation as a person is even better. Let’s hope the LSU coach is a symbol of that change as well, as the program tries its best to rid the stench of Kelly from Baton Rouge.

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