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Brian Kelly has done some great things as a head coach throughout his career. He's even done some pretty good work as head coach for the LSU Tigers, but the pressure is on in 2025 and he has to know it.
Yes, he has 10 bowl wins throughout his career. Yes, he's coming up on 200 career wins overall. And yes, LSU has won 10 games under his leadership in two separate seasons already. However, the defense has been falling apart recently and nine-win seasons (like last year) are simply not the LSU standard.
The time is now for Brian Kelly to win, and win early. Everybody knows it. Including Joel Klatt of Fox Sports, who most clearly laid out just how urgent Kelly's need to win truly is in his show this week.
Brian Kelly has to win with LSU Tigers right now
Joel Klatt has been breaking down a number of coaches that could be entering high pressure seasons–many of them potentially headed for the dreaded "hot seat" designation. And according to Klatt, it's not that Kelly has done a poor job, but like I've already stated, the expectations are high at LSU:
"For Brian Kelly, it's very similar–at least in my mind–to James Franklin, which means it's time...They've had two 10-win seasons. In most places 10-win seasons get people off your back. They've had a nine-win season [too]. But here's the difference: expectations are sky high at LSU. Every coach this century has won a national championship at LSU."
Is Brian Kelly on the hot seat? pic.twitter.com/VBxR0TqGgP
— Rivals (@Rivals) June 10, 2025
Nick Saban won a national championship. Les Miles won a championship. Even Ed Orgeron won a championship thanks to Joe Burrow and the ridiculously stacked 2019 LSU Tigers roster. The pressure is on. Kelly doesn't necessarily need to win a national championship right now, but if he doesn't do it now with Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback for one final season, when is it actually going to happen?
As we've discussed here at A to Z Sports this summer, the future of the quarterback position is a bit murky (as of this writing), so if Kelly doesn't start to show that he's taking LSU in the right direction right now, hot seat talks could certainly ramp up. And just how soon could those hot seat talks start? Based on Joel Klatt's breakdown (among many others this offseason), Kelly could be in trouble after Week 1 if he's not careful:
"Kelly needs a great start to the season. And that's exactly where the pressure point is. It's time. Week 1 at Clemson. The opener at Clemson is the moment for Brian Kelly. You can't lose that game. And that's an incredibly tough game. I actually think Clemson's a little bit better than LSU. So now, we're expecting him to take a team on the road and go beat Dabo Swinney, who's won a national championship. And [beat] Cade Klubnik who's played a lot of football, and just went to the College Football Playoff. And he's got to win that game. If he doesn't, look up at the rest of the schedule."
It might seem like an overreaction if LSU Tigers fans begin clambering for Brian Kelly's job after a Week 1 loss to a very good Clemson team, but this becoming a pattern. 2022 and 2023, losses to Florida State to open the year. Last year it was a loss to a USC team that turned out to be quite bad as the year progressed. Winning in Week 1 against a potential ACC conference champion and playoff team in Clemson could completely change the narrative.
If not?
The LSU Tigers have to face off against the Florida Gators and a possible future first overall pick quarterback talent in DJ Lagway two weeks later. Then they face off against Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Alabama within a five-game span. And finally they have to face off against a rising Oklahoma Sooners team that should be in a much better place offensively thanks to transfer quarterback John Mateer.
The 2025 LSU schedule is going to be an absurdly difficult path to navigate already. It's time for Brian Kelly to take care of business against the best team(s) in the nation with one of the best rosters he's had since taking over as head coach for the LSU Tigers.
The Tigers just brought in the number one transfer portal class in the nation with new receiving weapons like Barion Brown (Kentucky), Nic Anderson (Oklahoma), and Bauer Sharp (Oklahoma). The team completely revamped their defense to make up for the drop off there with Mansoor Delane (CB, Virginia Tech), Jack Pyburn (EDGE, Florida), and Patrick Payton (EDGE, Florida State). Plus, the blue chip depth rising up from last year's squad looks ready to compete in several key positions.
If he can't win at the highest levels right now, how is that going to change any time soon?
We'll be back with more LSU Tigers coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
If you want to see more of Joel Klatt's thoughts on Brian Kelly's hot seat situation you can find that in the video below too.
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