Reporter Claps Back at Snarky Comment by LSU Coach Brian Kelly

The Tigers football coach teased a tardy media member at Tuesday’s press conference, but she retorted with equal energy.

LSU football coach Brian Kelly is off to a rough start at his new gig.

The Tigers’ $95 million man suffered a gut-wrenching, 24–23 defeat to Florida State in New Orleans on Sunday night, which was unsurprisingly followed by swift criticism in Louisiana.

Perhaps a bit edgy after losing his LSU debut, Kelly needled a reporter who apparently was tardy to the coach’s media availability session on Tuesday. Kelly delivered the barb just as he opened the floor to questions.

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

Leah Vann of The Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge responded in kind.

“Maybe if you win, I’ll be on time,” Vann said.

Kelly kept his cool in responding to the jab.

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

Apparently, Kelly and Vann cleared the air afterward, and there were no hard feelings.

“Press conference was at noon,” Vann posted on Twitter. “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.

“I know Brian Kelly likes to joke. He clearly took it as one from our conversation afterward. All in good fun, fam.”

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At a time when tolerance seems to be at an all-time low, it’s nice to see people talk out their differences in an adult fashion.

LSU hosts crosstown FCS foe Southern University on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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