Brian Kelly and his LSU Tigers coaching staff are trying to completely reshape the roster and the organization as a whole in hopes to reach the College Football Playoff in 2025. The LSU Tigers fell short of expectations this past fall finishing 8-4 in the regular season, the team’s worst record in Brian Kelly’s tenure.
Coach Kelly made it clear down the stretch how disappointed he was in certain players and their want-to, as well as unsubstantiated reports that certain staff may be on the chopping block at the end of the season. However, none of Kelly’s major coordinators have been fired yet. And while that still might be on the horizon, LSU is continuing to take steps to get where they want to go in other ways, and fast.
Some of the staff changes haven’t been Kelly’s doing directly, but those moves have begun in recent days. The staff changes kicked off for LSU in early December as tight ends coach Slade Nagle left in December to become the Houston offensive coordinator. Since then things have continued to change, including four staff exiting the program in the last week alone.
LSU reportedly chose not to retain two former Tigers players in Nick Brossette and JaCoby Stevens who were working in support staff roles. Brossette in alumni relations and high school outreach. Stevens as a recruiting assistant. Paul Turner, another former LSU player, left his role as an offensive analyst to become a wide receivers coach with UNC Charlotte too.
But then the slightly bigger news broke that Bob Diaco, who had been demoted from special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach to “defensive analyst”, also left the program to join Bill Belichick at North Carolina.
Despite all of the mid to lower level staff changes for Coach Kelly the recruiting momentum for the LSU Tigers has not stopped. The Tigers currently have the number one overall Transfer Portal class in the nation with several new potential star players headed to Baton Rouge.
Edge rusher Patrick Payton and cornerback Mansoor Delane passed up what would have likely been excellent shots at serious 2025 NFL Draft capital to transfer to LSU. A trio of explosive playmakers at wide receiver in Barion Brown (Kentucky), Nic Anderson (Oklahoma), and Destyn Hill (Florida State) have joined the fold in hopes to catch passes from the talented Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback. Two of the best offensive line transfers in the country committed to the Tigers. The revamping of the LSU program looks almost complete.
As spring practices are already fast approaching there may still be a few coaching changes to come, but it seems that Coach Kelly’s retention of both offensive coordinator Joe Sloan and defensive coordinator Blake Baker may have signaled a certain level of stability that fans and critics didn’t think would be possible for LSU’s program following the disappointing 8-4 regular season finish.
There may be a frantic race to acquire the best assistants and potential Transfer Portal players from Notre Dame and Ohio State after the National Championship Game, but it seems LSU’s program is in a good place even if they don’t join the fray, as they continue building, trimming where they need to, and preparing for a bounce back 2025 season.
