Brian Kelly's tenure at LSU is over. The 64-year-old was relieved of his duties as head coach on Monday after the Tigers fell 49-25 to Texas A&M over the weekend.
It doesn't come as much surprise to fans who were anticipating his dismissal as early as last offseason (or, really, from the moment he accepted the job and immediately started adopting a Foghorn Leghorn accent, hardly beating the carpetbagger allegations). However, when you look at the numbers, Kelly actually had a rather impressive resume. He just didn't check the box in one key category that was requisite to staying on the sidelines in Baton Rouge.
Kelly was in his fourth season at the helm and leaves LSU with a 34-14 record (.708 win percentage). Ironically enough, that's roughly the same as his previous three predecessors over that same span. But that trio they all have a couple things Kelly doesn't: an SEC and national title.
Coach | Record (Win %) | SEC Title? | Nat'l Title? |
|---|---|---|---|
Les Miles | 42-11 (.792) | Yes | Yes |
Ed Orgeron | 39-12 (.764) | Yes | Yes |
Nick Saban | 39-13 (.750) | Yes | Yes |
Brian Kelly | 34-14 (.708) | No | No |
Did LSU cut Brian Kelly loose too soon? The data might suggest just that
While Kelly may not have achieved the ultimate goal for LSU, he wasn't even given a chance to finish his fourth season, which has clearly been the key for past bosses. No, LSU wasn't going to make the College Football Playoff with three losses, so the four-season prophecy wasn't going to be fulfilled. But that doesn't mean Kelly wasn't making progress, either.
The day after Kelly was dismissed, his staff managed to flip a top high school wide receiving recruit who led the state in receiving yards and touchdowns. That's a stark difference from how Penn State commits were jumping ship in the wake of James Franklin's firing. Who's to say LSU couldn't have made a jump next year and challenged for the SEC title and even a national championship?
But now, Kelly will have to either find a new program that wants him to lead it or ride off into the sunset with his $50 million buyout. There are bound to be openings, some enticing and others not so much. Perhaps Ole Miss rolls the dice on him if Lane Kiffin decides to pursue the Florida job.
More than likely, Kelly will have to settle for a lesser position and re-prove himself if he wants to stay in coaching. He's got time to take an extended vacation while the rest of the season plays out and more coaches are burned off their hot seats.