Looking back at it, the Brian Kelly era at LSU was doomed before it even got underway. It should have been easy to see coming.

Kelly’s first public message to the LSU faithful at halftime of the Tigers’ basketball game against Ohio on Dec. 1, 2021, was supposed to be electric. The former Notre Dame coach was supposed to fire up the fans for a new era of Tiger football after moving on from former head coach Ed Orgeron. Kelly’s ‘rah-rah’ speech, however, was made fun of relentlessly for years moving forward.

“Well, this is a great way to get started,” Kelly said in an unusual southern accent. “I haven’t even won all my games yet. It’s a great night to be a Tiger. I’m here with my family (pronounced fah-muly), and we are so excited to be in the great state of Louisiana. But more importantly, to be with you great fans and to be part of an incredible ride here at Louisiana State University.”

The aforementioned Orgeron joined Pardon My Take on Friday for its ‘Grit Week’ finale. There, he was asked about Kelly’s infamous speech.

“It’s over,” Orgeron immediately responded. “You ain’t got a chance. You ain’t got a chance, man. Not only did the fans see it, the players saw that. And they’re like… hmm. One of the things is that players have to trust you. You have to be who you are. If you try and be somebody that you ain’t, they’re going to smell it right away.”

Brian Kelly was fired by LSU eight games into 2025 season

Kelly’s first two seasons at LSU resulted in 10-win campaigns, but the Tigers failed to finish within the Top 10 of the Final College Football Playoff Rankings. He then led the program to a disappointing 9-4 season in 2024 and was fired eight games into the 2025 season following a 5-3 start. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was then hired to succeed Kelly, looking to inject life back into the program.

Kiffin then hired Orgeron on Wednesday as the special assistant to recruiting and defense, bringing Louisiana’s prodigal son home. Orgeron has not coached since he was fired by LSU following the 2021 season. Across his six-year stint in Baton Rouge, ‘Coach O’ led the Tigers to a 51-20 (31-17) record and a National Championship in 2019.

With the two polarizing coaches fueling the LSU program, the Tigers are seeking a return to the College Football Playoff since 2019. Brian Kelly was supposed to be the man to get that done, but it just did not come to fruition.