Brian Kelly understands that expectations are high as he prepares for LSU’s 2025 college football season, a team that depleted its coffers to reinforce an already strong roster with a slew of transfer portal acquisitions.
However, following a poor 5-3 start and a fall out of the national rankings, the Tigers dismissed their fourth-year coach. Kelly is, for the first time, clearly describing what led to his early departure and massive $54 million buyout.
I would say there is an easy, simple answer, Kelly told USA Today this week. And I didn’t win enough games. There’s a lengthier explanation as to why it didn’t happen. I’ll most likely have to write a book about it. There is always cause and effect, and in this case, the outcome was that I did not win enough games, full stop.
I believe you have to start with what wins enough games? We were 34-14 and 22-3 at home when I was sacked. We had two 10-win seasons, captured an SEC (West Division) championship, had the No. 1 offense in college football, and a Heisman Trophy winner. Other individuals decide what succeeds and what keeps you employed. But it begins with the definition of victory, and sadly, adequate winning was not defined as enough to keep me from being fired.
Pressure mounted early on Kelly when it became clear that something was wrong with LSU’s attack. While Kelly’s ambition to win big at LSU was unquestionable, taking the Tigers to their first playoff trip since 2019 looked increasingly challenging unless a coaching change was made.
LSU’s defense was never exceptional during Kelly’s tenure, even after a switch was made before to the 2024 season with the addition of Missouri’s Blake Baker as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator. Mike Denbrock served as LSU’s offensive coordinator for the 2022 and 2023 seasons before leaving for Notre Dame, with Joe Sloan being promoted as his successor.
Even with Garrett Nussmeier as the starting quarterback for the previous two seasons, the Tigers were unable to match the offensive prowess that Denbrock had built with Jayden Daniels as the catalyst.
What’s next for Brian Kelly?
Kelly has reconciled with his shortcomings at LSU, but he is looking forward to the future. He told USA Today that he continues to watch film every day in preparation for resuming his coaching career and has already been offered consulting positions at several schools ahead of the 2026 season.
Kelly remarked that you look at everything you’ve done throughout your career and recognize that you have a terrific process, and you know that this method has worked. I’ve had two losing seasons in 35 years, indicating that your technique is excellent. This recent move provided me with some time to consider what I might have done differently or better. We were in a genuine new era of college football, in which developing a front office was critical to ensuring that your hires were appropriate.
I believe that the majority of my hindsight would focus not on the culture or process of constructing a championship program, but rather on the recruitment process and ensuring that you have the resources in place to cope with modern college football. Building a very strong front office right away. I believe we were in a good position near the finish, but perhaps we didn’t get there quickly enough. I believe it is crucial to maintain consistency with your coordinators.
