LSU Tigers fire football head coach Brian Kelly
LSU Tigers fire football head coach Brian Kelly
Patients, uh, certainly, uh, extremely disappointed. You know what happened out there, nobody’s more disappointed than our players in the locker room. You know, obviously they’re searching for answers. I’ve got to be able to provide them for them, but. Like I said, nobody’s more disappointed than our football team. And you know the performance in the second half was certainly the most disappointing part of this game in itself so um. Don’t have much to add other than what we saw, um, so I’ll open it up to questions. Coach in the immediate aftermath and to the best of your ability, can you describe what happened in that second half? Was it mental, physical, I mean, anything in between? Well, I, I think, I think it’s pretty clear we couldn’t get off the field in the first drive defensively, and that was my biggest concern going in halftime, um, that we needed to come out and and get *** stop defensively we weren’t able to do that then subsequently we were 3 and out and then of course the punt returned for *** touchdown we’ve got the ball pinned to the sideline and. We just didn’t execute at the level necessary and that. And and I think that that was *** big, you know, back to back touchdowns right out of the gates um and then just the inability offensively to to get into any kind of rhythm offensively which has been, you know, off and on for us um. You know, virtually the entire year and and then another no stop on defense so you know I’ve talked *** lot about not being able to play complementary football but we, we, we complimented ourselves offensively and defense by not playing uh to the level that we need to and and look it wasn’t that those kids. Didn’t play hard. we did not play to the level and, and, uh, do the things necessary to be successful on the things that I just mentioned that entire drive the ball got outside the defense, um, we didn’t, we weren’t aware of *** screen uh we didn’t show enough awareness in that situation, um, you know, the quarterback got us in some situations where there were some pass rush issues, um. And then offensively, you know, you, you guys watched the, you know, the second half too, you know, we, we struggle *** little bit with protection, um. And we were not um effective enough offensively to sustain any kind of rhythm and so all three phases um early on put us in that situation. If the guys are indeed playing hard as, as you say and believe, then what do you think is sort of missing um with this team at the moment in terms of, um, the execution piece of things? Yeah, I mean, all of those things are the ones that I’m gonna have to figure out for *** football team. Because if guys are playing hard and and and I know they were and they prepared their tails off this week and that’s not happening you know that’s *** football issue and and the football buck stops with me and and I have to take *** good hard look at what we’re doing how we’re doing it um both from *** personnel standpoint and from *** coaching standpoint. Uh, coach, not to get caught up in the moment, but *** game like this will have big picture questions. *** lot of your fan base is very upset. What would you tell them right now and can you come back from this this year and altogether? Oh yeah, I mean look this this is an extremely disappointing night right? and the fan base, um, our fans are are disappointed like any fan base would be whether um here at LSU or uh any other school, um, the head coach, it stops with the head coach and so that responsibility falls with me, um, but this is *** proud tradition, uh, LSU they have *** proud football team and the guys that represent us and like I said those guys. They, I was with them. They prepared their tails off this week. They expected to win. They, they did that by their actions in the first half. It didn’t show itself in the second half, so I have to look at the reasons why. So my focus really, Jacques will be much more on, um, inside out than outside in, and, and I, I get it. There, there should be noise uh you should be disappointed. I’m disappointed. Um, but I have to really focus my time inside out the program so we can make sure this never happens again. Brian, in the back here, is there, is there one or two things that’s critical right now that you guys have to hone in on, figure out and focus, and it may not even be football related right to to keep this thing moving the way you guys want it to be. Oh no, I think everything’s football related, Michael. I think everything this is about how you get your football team to play better, so I have to evaluate everything um from top down, uh, everything we do and how we do it, um. And, and primarily in the football end of things, you know, this, this, this is, this is much more about the football end of things and and that involves, you know, um making those decisions that will allow this football team to to play at *** higher level so I have to do some work on that, um, and, and come up with the solutions. Of course I mean you’re gonna evaluate everything you know I mean I I think you have to look at everything, uh everything that we do offensively, everything that is being done defensively, special teams was atrocious, um, all of those things fall on me, um, so when it comes to the football, um, that, that’s what I have to fix and, and we have to do that immediately. You talked about the offensive ongoing woes, but defense for the last, I don’t know, 3 or 4 games. I mean, it, like, when did this team forget how to tackle, I guess, for *** better word. I wish I had *** simple answer for you. I really do, um. You know, uh, you know, setting edges is *** fundamental principle of of good defense, right? Uh, tackling is *** fundamental principle recognition, um, uh, and awareness of, uh, screen game is, is *** fundamental principle, um. Those things were were not present and and so that’s where I have to really dig deep and and figure out because I am not here for one second to blame this football team, these players, um, they played hard. I have to figure out how to get them in *** position where they can succeed and that’s my job. Uh, yeah, coach really looked like in that first half Harlem Barry was on his way to *** pretty breakout performance. Is there any explanations to why he only got one touch in the second half? Can you just explain that *** little bit. Yeah, we got behind real quick, um, you know, and, and it changed the complexion of the game, uh, from that standpoint, um. So yeah, if I think if we if we had, you know, come up with *** stop or you know didn’t have the punt return I think it would saw more balance, you know, from that perspective but you know, you know, once there were 3 consecutive scores there, it, it changed the whole rhythm and balance on offense. Brian, you talked about this being an an an all in year for for the team and it hasn’t really gone that way. What level of concern do you have for yourself with the faith the program should have for you? I mean that that’s out of my hands. I, I, you know, I, it, it’s, it’s impossible for the head coach that’s been here, you know, for 4 years and 35 years of doing this, um, to think anything else, but this is my responsibility and. We’ve got to get it turned around and. That’s not my decision in terms of whether I’m here or not, but that’s what I will do as *** head coach that’s been doing it over 3 decades when things are not going well from *** football standpoint, the head football coach has to be agile enough and able to make those changes and, and find out what we need to do to get our football team to play better. Garrett exited the game with about 6 minutes left. What was the thought process and taking him out and how do you, what’s your reaction to his, um, disappointment then on the sideline after, after that? Well, I would have been disappointed too if you took me out of the game at that situation, I would have been disappointed but it was *** bigger picture. Uh, we, we were struggling in protection. Um, I thought it would have been unfair to have him in the game under those circumstances with where the game was Cokie, clearly out of reach to have him get injured in that situation I thought would have been malpractice from my standpoint. got time for 2 more. Coach right here in the middle, uh, you mentioned special teams. What do you think was the biggest issue there in that phase of the game? Well, you know, I thought we started off great, right? We get the pump block, usually you get *** pump block, great things happen, um, and it just went downhill from there. The first thing was we pinned the ball to the sideline and we’re not able to, to, to get down what we knew to be *** great return man. Uh, we couldn’t get him on the ground, um. You know, then, then we had some situational substitution issues, um, that are unacceptable and, and they fall on me, you know, I’ve got to get that corrected. Um, you know, Ramos missed the extra point, man, he’s, I, I don’t know, he’s, he’s had 100 and something in *** row, um, that, that was bound to break at some time just by. Sheer volume of, of, of kicks. Um, but, you know, by and large, You know we didn’t kick the ball the way we normally kick it, um, but that’s no excuse we gotta go cover the d kick and, and we did not cover it very well today, um, so kickoff coverage punt coverage, um, those things really showed themselves tonight and you know *** couple of situational errors and, and, and certainly part of, uh. An incredibly uh disappointing second half. Brian, I know there are only 4 games left, and I don’t know most of the guys up front are young guys, but is there any way to, to get them to improve to the last stretch of this regular season? Absolutely. I mean. Look, uh, and you guys know this. I mean, you know, they have an opportunity, you know, to, to work on their craft every day and, and we’ll be back out, um, practicing, um, after they get *** couple of days to regroup, um. But yeah, no, absolutely every single one of them, uh, as I said, I would just be giving you lip service right now if we weren’t gonna be committed to getting this football team better and, and, and having them um have better outcomes than tonight, um, our fan base should be upset, um, they have every right to be, um, that second half was unacceptable, uh, at any level. Um, and, and I’ve got to figure out the ways that we can get our football team to play better football, um, consistently, not just in, in, in spurts but for four quarters.
LSU Tigers fire football head coach Brian Kelly
LSU Tigers fire football head coach Brian Kelly
Updated: 9:13 PM CDT Oct 26, 2025
The LSU Tigers have fired football head coach Brian Kelly.Matt Moscona with ESPN radio broke the news via social media.Kelley is coming off one of the most disappointing losses in program history, falling to Texas A&M 49-25 on Saturday evening in Baton Rouge.Kelly joins the ranks of other high-profile coaches who’ve been fired so far in 2025, like James Franklin (Penn State), Billy Napier (Florida), and Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State). Other notable coaches dismissed include Sam Pittman (Arkansas), DeShaun Foster (UCLA), and Brent Pry (Virginia Tech).Per the contract he signed in 2021, Kelly will revive a buyout of $54 million.Kelly, one of the most successful head coaches in college football history finishes his career in Baton Rouge 34-14 overall and 19-10 in Southeastern Conference play.Hired away form the University of Notre Dame, Kelly was expected to deliver championship quality football, but LSU has regressed in 2025 and has been eliminated from College Football Playoff contention with a 5-3 record.
BATON ROUGE, La. —
The LSU Tigers have fired football head coach Brian Kelly.
Matt Moscona with ESPN radio broke the news via social media.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Kelley is coming off one of the most disappointing losses in program history, falling to Texas A&M 49-25 on Saturday evening in Baton Rouge.
Kelly joins the ranks of other high-profile coaches who’ve been fired so far in 2025, like James Franklin (Penn State), Billy Napier (Florida), and Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State). Other notable coaches dismissed include Sam Pittman (Arkansas), DeShaun Foster (UCLA), and Brent Pry (Virginia Tech).
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Per the contract he signed in 2021, Kelly will revive a buyout of $54 million.
Kelly, one of the most successful head coaches in college football history finishes his career in Baton Rouge 34-14 overall and 19-10 in Southeastern Conference play.
Hired away form the University of Notre Dame, Kelly was expected to deliver championship quality football, but LSU has regressed in 2025 and has been eliminated from College Football Playoff contention with a 5-3 record.