LSU HC Brian Kelly joins former Ohio State HC Urban Meyer and others on prestigious list after Jayden Daniels’ 2023 Heisman Trophy win

LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly finally has a reason to celebrate the season. The 62-year-old may not have been able to qualify for the conference championship or the playoffs this campaign, but his QB Jayden Daniels has been recognized as the best football player in the country this season.

Daniels spent three seasons with Arizona State before getting transferred to LSU last season at the same time Kelly was hired as the 33rd head coach to replace Ed Oregon. Over the last two seasons, Daniels has gone on to prove his worth with incredible numbers. His Heisman grab not only earns him the accolade as the best player but it also puts Kelly on a prestigious list with the likes of coaching legends such as Urban Meyer.

According to a tweet by Reddit CFB, with Jayden Daniels winning the 2023 Heisman, Kelly joins the likes of former Ohio State coach Meyer and former Lousiville HC Bobby Petrino as the only coaches this century with a player who won the Heisman on a team with three or more losses.

For Brian Kelly, having a Heisman winner under him goes on to improve his reputation as a college football coach. He may be new to LSU but has already put up winning seasons in his two-year stint so far. Last season, he led the Tigers to a 10-4 along with a spot in the SEC Championship game which they lost to Georgia. Kelly went on to secure an impressive 63-7 win over Purdue in the Citrus Bowl.

This season, Brian Kelly put a 9-3 overall campaign but failed to secure a chance at the SEC title. He will now be looking forward to getting the Tigers ready for their ReliaQuest Bowl game against Wisconsin.

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Brian Kelly elated with Jayden Daniels' Heisman win

After watching his QB be recognized as the best player in the nation, Brian Kelly was proud of his achievements and went on to congratulate Daniels for his victory. When ESPN's Holly Rowe caught up with Kelly after the ceremony, he said that it was an emotional moment and it was exciting to watch Daniels grow under his guidance. He said (via AL.com):

"I'm just so thrilled that I could see a young man develop like this in such a very short period of time. And look, the football is amazing, right? That's how you win this. But off the field, his leadership, what he's done to touch this program and the state of Louisiana, they're probably celebrating as much in Louisiana as they are a championship. It's emotional. So thank you."

LSU will face Wisconsin in the bowl game on January 1, 2024.