Brian Kelly’s daughter, Grace, has had a unique upbringing. As is the case with any child of a college football coach. Especially one of such status within the sport.
Grace, 23, has seen her dad serve as head coach at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and now LSU. She likely has more vivid memories of her time in South Bend and Baton Rouge than the earlier three stops. She graduated from Notre Dame and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at Louisiana State.
No matter where Grace goes, her last name follows. Her dad, Brian Kelly, is the most-criticized employee at whatever school he is coaching. That’s just how it works.
So where does that leave Grace? How is she able to separate her personal image from her father?
Grace recently addressed that self-admittedly difficult challenge during an exclusive interview on Valley Vision with Abby Alonzo. It’s not easy, and it is something that she has discussed with her therapist.
The first step in separation is understanding.
I have to recognize that [my dad, Brian Kelly] is always part of my identity. It always will be. I am totally okay with that and I love that about myself.
— Grace Kelly
Although they share DNA, Grace is not the same person as her dad. They don’t have the same focus in life. That requires her to consciously approach her day-to-day in a manner that is authentically her own.
My goals in life are separate than those things […]
I work really hard to separate myself.
I get that work ethic from my family, but I’ve always tried to separate myself [through] my abilities to show that there’s more to me. I have way more to offer.
— Grace Kelly
Fortunately, Grace has found that the people she works with/around in Louisiana have not treated her any differently because her dad is who he is. The same can’t be said about people online or in her classes, but that is where the work comes into play.
Grace is not new to being a coach’s daughter. She has had 23 years to discover her own identity and use those learnings to make herself known as Grace Kelly, not just Brian Kelly’s daughter— even if those two things go hand-in-hand.
You can watch the full interview here: