Brian Kelly’s Abrupt Exit From Notre Dame Draws Criticism From Brady Quinn

Former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn’s upset. And really, who could blame him? We’re less than a month from Christmas, but former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly's quick departure for LSU means Quinn is no longer feeling the Christmas spirit.

Quinn blasted Kelly hours after word spread that he was leaving sixth-ranked Notre Dame for a Bayou-sized paycheck.

"This was about money. This was about ego,” Quinn said as part of his morning show on Fox Sports Radio, 2 Pros and Cup of Joe.

Kelly had been Notre Dame’s head coach since 2010, four years after Quinn left the school as one of the most decorated passers in program history. Though their time in South Bend never overlapped, Quinn feels as though he has a good read on why Kelly pulled the ultimate Irish Goodbye just weeks before a potential College Football Playoff game.

“Him looking at LSU and saying, 'I've played against them. I know the hurdles you have to jump over at Notre Dame vs LSU to recruit, and I want to try and go win a National Championship.' “

Quinn continued: “And he might feel like he has a better chance there, but the irony of it is his team could literally be playing for one this year and really the next two years. And I think the way he did it was more about his ego and how he feels he was treated at times at Notre Dame.”

The former Heisman Trophy finalist then reiterated that the way Kelly departed ND has left Quinn with a spoiled eggnog taste in his mouth.

“At the end of the day, you don't leave the way he did,” Quinn said. “Leaving a recruit's house after this news breaks, and having other coaches out there who are on the road recruiting; you don't leave in a classless way like that, after becoming the all-time winningest coach, unless there's more to it and you want to try to spurn, or try and do this in a conniving way."

Bah humbug, indeed.

 

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