(BCSNN) -- Brian Kelly spent the majority of his life as a college football coach. Now 64, he took his first head‑coaching job at Grand Valley State at age 35 and remained in the profession from 1991 through 2025, meaning half his life was spent wearing the headset.

Kelly is expected to work in television during the 2026 season after being fired by LSU in October of his fourth year in Baton Rouge. He was dismissed despite a 34–14 overall record, but a 5–3 start to the 2025 season — including 2–3 in the SEC — accelerated his exit.

Whether Kelly, known for his prickly demeanor, will thrive on television is its own question. But what’s becoming increasingly clear is that he doesn’t sound fully committed to his new post‑coaching career. In a recent interview with The Independent, Kelly did not rule out returning to the sideline.

For a coach who has lived the strain and stress of the job more than most, the possibility of a comeback carries weight. Kelly has his flaws, but he also coached at an elite level for decades, including his tenure at Notre Dame from 2010 to 2021.

Health and enthusiasm matter for any coach considering a return. And Kelly, who has spent his life chasing the next challenge, now sounds like someone who believes he still has one more run left in him.

After everything — the LSU firing, the abrupt shift to television, the questions about his future — Kelly’s openness to coaching again feels less like a surprise and more like an overdue acknowledgment: he’s not done yet.