Overview
- Multiple sports insiders and outlets have recently linked Brian Kelly to the Rutgers job, with reporting from The Athletic, Evan Sidery and others naming him as a top candidate.
- Rutgers has opened the 2026 season with surprising losses to UMass and Boston College and a later defeat to USC, leaving head coach Greg Schiano under intense scrutiny from fans and media.
- Kelly is publicly open to returning to coaching, holds a long, high-win record from Central Michigan to Notre Dame, and has said he will only take the right opportunity.
- Rutgers president Bill Tate and athletic director Keli Zinn previously worked at LSU, a connection reporters say could make Kelly a more plausible fit for the program.
- Any move would face big hurdles: reporting cites roughly $17.3 million as an estimated buyout on Schiano’s remaining contract and long-running concerns about Rutgers’ resources and competitiveness, and no official approach to Kelly has been confirmed.