LSU beat writer zings Brian Kelly during press conference

Brian Kelly has had a rough week and it’s only gotten worse.

After scoring two touchdowns in the final four minutes and losing to Florida State on a blocked PAT, the LSU Tigers head football coach joked about a reporter showing up late for a recent press conference. Without skipping a beat, the reporter returned the joke with one of her own with the power of a Serena Williams forehand.

https://twitter.com/thatSECpodcast/status/1567315216832004097?s=20&t=Vk3uMSul7s2D6JLD-b9I2A

Kelly told the group, “We’ll open it up to this late arriving media crowd that must’ve enjoyed the weekend. That’s usually $10 that we put in the kitty for…we’ll have a big bash at the end of the year, at my place.”

The reporter answered back, “Maybe if you win, I’ll be on time.”

To which Kelly responded, “I don’t think it has anything to do with winning. I think it has to do with being on time.”

Even without the context, you could tell both people were joking; at least at first because it seemed that Kelly wasn’t expecting a comeback and got a bit more serious in his response. But not everyone saw it as a joke so The Advocate’s Leah Vann, who was the subject of Kelly’s joke, explained that while she was joking, she apologized to Kelly for her remark. Kelly was a good sport about it and the two of them had some fun banter after the press conference.

Press conference was at noon, I was running from a doctor’s appointment. Got there at 11:57. Brian Kelly called me out, said jokingly I owed him $10, I said if he won maybe I’d be on time. Not my finest hour. I apologized afterward, he was super chill and said I still owe him $10 https://t.co/6zsp6k9PuL

— Leah Vann (@LVann_Sports) September 6, 2022

He said he needs $10 so he can afford his new jackets and I said he has $90 mil for that and he said that’s a smoke screen and I said that’s fair and I liked his new jacket and he thanked me. If y’all want all the details.

— Leah Vann (@LVann_Sports) September 6, 2022

Honestly, Kelly developing a friendly and good-natured relationship with the beat writers who are going to be interacting with him most of the week isn’t the worst idea in the world. Especially if LSU struggles and the media might need to criticize him. This might be the first time since signing with LSU that Kelly came across as somewhat likable.

He’s gotten criticism for leaving Notre Dame before their bowl game after saying he wouldn’t leave. He has the pressure of a $95 million contract hanging over his head that he has to perform in order to earn that salary. And then there was the whole thing with the fake Southern accent. But after losing to Florida State in soul-crushing fashion on national TV, Brian Kelly could stand to “get more flies with honey than with vinegar” to the people who have a little bit of influence on whether or not he remains LSU head coach.