Brian Kelly on Wednesday disputed comments made by the father of former LSU safety Greg Brooks Jr., who alleged the Tigers coach abandoned the player after he had surgery to remove a brain tumor in September 2023.

In an interview on “Good Morning America” on Monday, Greg Brooks Sr. said his family hadn’t heard from Kelly or anyone on LSU’s coaching staff since shortly after the surgery.

“There’s many things I can’t say because it is pending litigation, but here’s what I can tell you: It is factually incorrect to state that I was not there by Greg’s side through this ordeal on multiple occasions,” Kelly said during a news conference Wednesday. “I had somebody from my staff that was there virtually every single day.

“We love Greg, we love him for the person that he is, for the competitor that he is and the battler that he is. We only wish him continued progress as he goes through an [incredibly] difficult time.”

In a lawsuit filed in August against LSU and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Brooks Jr. accused the Tigers coaching staff of encouraging him to practice after he showed symptoms in practice that something was wrong. He alleged that team athletic trainers misdiagnosed his condition for weeks and waited too long to send him to a neurological specialist.

Brooks, a team captain who transferred to LSU from Arkansas, played in two games in 2023 before doctors discovered the brain tumor.

The complaint alleges that the surgeon who removed the tumor wasn’t qualified to perform the procedure and caused “catastrophic neurological injuries” that left Brooks Jr. permanently disabled. The lawsuit says Brooks Jr. suffered multiple strokes during surgery.

Brooks Jr., 23, can’t walk more than a year after the surgery and is confined to a wheelchair. He had to learn how to write and speak again through rehabilitation.

Doctors told Brooks Jr. that he is cancer-free after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments, according to “Good Morning America.” During the interview, Brooks’ father said he hadn’t heard from LSU coaches during his son’s recovery.

“Specifically, Brian Kelly,” Brooks Sr. said. “My son almost lost his life. Coach, where were you? Forget about football. Pick up the phone and say you love the kid, man.”

Kelly denied the accusation Wednesday.

“You can question me as a football coach, you can question me with things we do on the field but off the field, as a parent, a husband, as someone who is actively involved in every community that I’ve been involved with, this is where I draw the line for me,” Kelly said. “That comment struck a nerve with me. It hit my heart. I’m in this business for our players, and it rattled me that somebody could possibly be so factually incorrect in stating that I was not a part of Greg Brooks Jr.’s care and support. The support was the entire university and entire community. I needed to make sure that record was clear.”

Ohio State is set to promote Brian Hartline as its primary offensive coordinator, replacing Chip Kelly, and will have him handle playcalling, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

Hartline, a former Ohio State standout wide receiver who has coached the team’s wideouts since 2018, served as co-offensive coordinator under Kelly last season as the Buckeyes won their first national title in a decade. He held the primary offensive coordinator title in 2023, although head coach Ryan Day handled much of the playcalling. Day gave up playcalling to Kelly after the 2023 season, choosing to focus on the team’s overall operation, and is expected to keep the approach with Hartline, according to a source.

Kelly left earlier this week to become Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator under new coach Pete Carroll. 247 Sports first reported Hartline’s expected promotion.

Hartline played for Ohio State from 2006 to 2008, before entering the NFL draft, where he was selected in the fourth round. He played six seasons for the Miami Dolphins and one for the Cleveland Browns.

Since returning to his alma mater, Hartline has overseen one of the nation’s top wide receiver rooms, which has produced five NFL first-round draft picks in the past three drafts, including Marvin Harrison Jr., the No. 4 pick in 2024. Ohio State returns record-setting wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and others for the 2025 season but will be looking for a new starting quarterback.

Offensive analyst Billy Fessler is expected to be promoted to quarterbacks coach, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Hartline’s offensive staff also will include new line coach Tyler Bowen, who had previously been Virginia Tech’s offensive coordinator, sources told Thamel earlier Wednesday. Bowen replaces Justin Frye, who left to coach offensive line for the Arizona Cardinals.

MINNEAPOLIS — Outfielder Harrison Bader and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2026, according to multiple reports.

A Gold Glove winner for St. Louis in 2021, Bader will be playing for his fifth team in five seasons.

He hit .236 with 12 homers, 51 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 25 attempts for the New York Mets last year. He was limited to just two postseason starts in 12 games.

Bader is expected to provide an experienced right-handed bat off the bench and excellent defense in the outfield that can keep the Twins from too much of a drop-off in the field when Byron Buxton needs a break.

Bader has spent most of his time in center field but also is capable of playing in the corners. He would fill a role similar to Michael A. Taylor in 2023, one the Twins hoped to rely on Manny Margot for last year, but Margot struggled and was not re-signed.

Bader has a .242 average with 71 homers, 268 RBI and 94 steals in 120 attempts for the Cardinals (2017-22), New York Yankees (2022-23), Cincinnati (2023) and the Mets, who signed the New York native to a $10.5 million, one-year deal.