Joel Klatt fiercely defends Lincoln Riley, Brian Kelly

Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly have come under scrutiny for leaving their respective schools for different opportunities. However, they have a fierce defender in FOX’s Joel Klatt.

First, Klatt defended Kelly’s decision to leave Notre Dame for LSU. Many believe there had to be a better way for Kelly to depart from South Bend, but Klatt believes that it’s just the nature of the beast.

“He’s a great coach. I’ll go in the great category — Brian Kelly is a great coach. Culturally, it’s a completely different environment. Notre Dame and LSU. Folks, does it really matter when somebody puts someone puts one hundred million dollars in-front of you? I don’t think it does,” stated Klatt on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “I think he was one hundred percent honest with everyone in the room when he said listen, unless there’s a fairy godmother and my wife and I have a conversation about some blank check, I’m going to be at Notre Dame. That wasn’t a lie. The fairy godmother happened to be wearing purple and yellow.

“Folks, everyone of us is for sale. You may not want to hear that, but it’s true. It’s just the nature of it. If you get that contract, you’re moving too.”

Klatt makes a good point — it’s tough to turn down the offer LSU gave Brian Kelly.

Klatt: ‘All you have to do is create more of an NFL model.’

Furthermore, Klatt didn’t forget to offer a solution to the problem. The FOX analyst wholeheartedly believes this isn’t how Riley or Kelly wanted to leave their respective schools. As a response, Klatt believes college football should model their sport after the NFL.

“If this is not how you want it to happen. Brian Kelly doesn’t want to do it this way. Lincoln Riley doesn’t want to do it this way. All you have to do is create more of an NFL model. Where you have tampering periods and structure to the sport,” stated Klatt. “Put guard rails on the schedule of the sport.

“There should be no early recruiting period where you’re signing guys in early December. This is the product of that. .. That’s why this went down the way it did. It’s not Lincoln Riley’s fault, and it’s not Brian Kelly’s fault.”

Joel Klatt believes Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly did things the way they had to do it. However, Klatt believes the sport can change — it’s a problem that’s easily fixable. However, it doesn’t ease the sting Oklahoma and Notre Dame fans currently feel.