Does LSU Need To Fire Head Coach Brian Kelly?

When Brian Kelly was hired as LSU's next head coach, there was a bit of excitement in the air all over Louisiana. He was a proven winner - having posted great seasons at both Cincinnati & Notre Dame including a BCS Championship berth in 2012. However, over the last 3 seasons, that excitement has dissipated.

Yeah, LSU has won 10 games in both of Kelly's first 2 seasons at LSU. Yes, since Kelly came on board, LSU has had one of the the top recruiting classes in the country. But, in the world of SEC football, good just isn't good enough.

And right now, in the eyes of fans, Kelly is on the hot seat and unless something changes quick it may be time for LSU to make a change.

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Reasons Why This Should Be Kelly's Final Year in Baton Rouge

The LSU Tigers are on a 3 game losing streak and the cries from fans for LSU to move on from Kelly are growing louder with every passing week. And, let's be honest here: the growing unrest isn't completely unwarranted.

Under Brian Kelly, the Tigers have lost close games late for numerous reasons including poor play calling and poor clock management - which would fall under the category of coaching mistakes.

And this isn't new for Kelly. The stigma that has followed him for years is that he can't win the big game. And, thus far, he's done nothing to prove otherwise with major losses to ranked teams like Alabama and Texas A&M this year. Plus, the Tigers record in primetime games like major season openers isn't great either under Kelly.

Then if you look at him losing his mind on players on the sidelines, it's not a good look. Not because being a 'tough coach' is a bad thing...but because, from the outside looking in, it looks like he's pushing his career failures off on his players.

So, it appears that Kelly is losing the locker room and the fan base at a very rapid pace.

Reasons Why LSU Should Keep Brian Kelly For At Least Another Season

In the grand scheme of things, all hope isn't lost for Kelly & the Tigers. Sometimes, it takes a while to build a culture & program. People remember that Nick Saban built a championship team. But, fans seem to forget that his time at LSU & his first year at Alabama wasn't all that great either.

Nick Saban at LSU & Alabama:

• 2000: 8-4
• 2001: 10-3
• 2002: 8-5
• 2003: 13-1 & Won a National Championship
• 2004: 9-3
• 2007 @ Alabama: 2-6

My point - Sometimes it takes time to build a winning program. Right now, they may not have the greatest talent on the field, but some high level players are coming. As I mentioned above, Brian Kelly has been one heck of recruiter. So, he's bringing in big time talent.

In 2025, he's got one of the top 5-star QB recruits in Bryce Underwood. In 2023, LSU's had the #6 overall class in the nation. In 2024, the were #9. Currently, they're #4 for the 2025 class. So, he's getting a LOT of talent into Baton Rouge. But, it takes time to get all those pieces to fit.

From a business standpoint, it would cost LSU $60.8 million to fire Brian Kelly this year. That's a LOT of money to blowout a guy coming off of back-to-back 10 win seasons and top recruiting classes. The other question: If you fire Brian Kelly, then who? Is there another coach out there that could do better on the recruiting or coaching front? I'm not so sure.

Let's not forget: Kelly did beat Nick Saban's Bama team in 2022. He's had some moments. So, it hasn't been as bad as some fans or members of the media have made it out to be.

But, I will say this - if LSU loses to either Vanderbilt or Oklahoma, that's probably the end of the line for Kelly.