LSU Community Reacts to Brian Kelly's Dismissal

LSU's football program is in the midst of a coaching search, and the fallout from Brian Kelly's recent firing is reverberating through the community. The 64-year-old coach was let go on October 26, a day after a disappointing home defeat to Texas A&M, which left the Tigers with a 5-3 record and a 2-3 mark in the Southeastern Conference.

In the wake of his dismissal, former players and staff have begun to share their experiences from Kelly's tenure, many describing him as detached and uninterested in forming personal connections with his athletes. “You gotta come a different way with your players,” said Charles Turner, a former Tigers player, emphasizing the need for coaches to genuinely engage with their team.

This sentiment echoes concerns raised during Kelly's previous stint at Notre Dame, where he coached from 2010 to 2021. A former staff member from that era remarked, “I never saw the guy,” criticizing Kelly for failing to foster a “family atmosphere” within the program.

Recruitment efforts were reportedly hampered by Kelly’s approach. One staffer recounted how rival schools would tell recruits, “He’ll never talk to you guys. He doesn’t even know the players’ names.” Another incident highlighted Kelly’s reluctance to engage directly with potential recruits, as one staffer recalled asking him to speak with a recruit already on the line, only to be told, “Make an appointment.”

Frustration among LSU staffers grew as they felt Kelly lacked the necessary investment in the program, particularly given his lucrative 10-year contract worth $95 million. “I don’t want to dance on his grave, like I see a lot of people doing, but you could almost tell that he cashed out here,” one staffer commented.

Another echoed this sentiment, stating, “The effort just is not there, especially for what this place is and compared to what we’re competing against. We always had to recruit around him.”

These revelations come shortly after conflicting accounts emerged regarding Kelly’s response to the tragic death of Kyren Lacy, a former player who died by suicide in April at age 24. Lacy’s father expressed disappointment over not receiving any communication from Kelly following his son’s passing, stating on Facebook, “Must be nice to get paid millions to get your walking papers.”

In contrast, Kyren’s mother, Kandace Washington, defended Kelly, asserting that he reached out multiple times after her son’s death. “Coach Brian Kelly absolutely called me after Kyren passed, and we spoke more than once,” she wrote on Instagram. She praised the support her family received from the LSU community during their time of grief.

As the LSU community processes these events, questions linger about the future direction of the football program and the qualities needed in its next leader.