When the LSU Tigers lost No.1 recruit Bryce Underwood to Michigan, HC Brian Kelly knew what was coming. Yes, the last chance narrative comes into play for Kelly who has signed a 10-year contract worth $95 million in 2022. So, moving into the 2025 season, the HC’s seat is going to get hot.

In the list of college football coaches, who won fewer than 10 games for the first time in his tenure at LSU, the Tigers HC faces the heat. But he was the same person who did so well in the portal that he was said to have transformed the SEC. That’s when fans chose to sprinkle some salt at Kelly’s downfall. 

Brian Kelly catches side eyes of analysts

Call it bad luck or not, but Kelly had to bear heavy blows in 2024. After all, the HC failed to help LSU make it to the playoffs even after signing the nation’s best transfer class. USA Today’s Blake Toppmeyer wrote, “That haul includes top-rung defensive line and secondary additions, necessary personnel tasked with jumpstarting a defense that’s been too feeble for too long.” The analyst believes that the 63-year-old Kelly’s national title window slowly closes but it has not closed yet. 247Sports analyst Budd Elliot also feels the same. “I don’t really think they’re gonna fire Brian Kelly but if they don’t have a good season again I can certainly see the argument for it right?” Now there are multiple factors that raised the temperature of Kelly’s seat.

He failed to make the most use of Jayden Daniels, wasted Nussmeier’s talents in 2024 who had been an NFL top pick-worthy material. On that note, Elliott stated, “If Brian Kelly does not make it to the playoffs we are going to see some rumblings like “Hey what are we doing here?”” Plus there is one important factor that plays against Kelly.

As analyst Gerald V Dixon stated, “The last three coaches at LSU, have all won National Championships. Nick Saban, Les Miles, even Ed Orgeron.”A program of LSU’s stature expects to be in contention for the College Football Playoff every season. Atleast that’s how the stalwarts and Kelly’s predecessors have built the program. The biggest turn-off for Tigers under Kelly’s reign is their defense which Dixon termed as “pathetic.” LSU’s defense in 2023 was one of the worst SEC defenses ever seen. In 2024 also, things were no different. Do you remember the LSU vs. USC game?

Throughout their final five drives, LSU committed several penalties, allowed over 250 total yards, and gave up 17 more points. So in 2025, it’s a do-or-die situation for Kelly. Now what do the Tigers fans think about Kelly walking through thin ice?   

Fans’ real and bitter feelings for Brian Kelly come to light  

Maybe the fans are still carrying the memory of how Kelly’s boys lost their season opener against USC, which finished 7-6. A fan commends the HC for prepping up Daniels into NFL material who now plays for Washington Commanders. But that does not give Kelly a green pass to go without being called out for the poor defense. That’s when a fan wrote, “What he accomplished with 2 years of Daniels is pretty telling. S- -t JD turned Washington into a SB contender this year. They should’ve at least made a NY6 bowl with JD! (Here come the cries about the defense being awful).”

Well, Kelly has the got the ultimate weapon in his hand. That’s his QB Nussmeier who has made a U-turn to Baton Rouge. Even having tools that NFL scouts love he did not commit to the league. The QB ended his first season as the starter, tossing for 3,735 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. So a fan is surprised to find out about Kelly’s downfall even having Nussmeier. He commented,  “Impossible to be on the hot seat when Garrett Nussmeier is your QB.”

Kelly is often compared between his Notre Dame and Tigers stints. He came up with a 113-40 record at Notre Dame. It included a national championship game appearance in 2013 and two CFP appearances in 2018 and 2020. So as soon as he came out of Notre Dame, he started to struggle. Thus a fan wrote, “Just remember folks – Brian Kelly left Notre Dame because he wanted to coach somewhere that has the facilities and resources to compete for a national championship. Looking back, I don’t think Notre Dame was the issue lmao. Kelly is a weirdo.”

Another fan holds the HC responsible for their linebacker Whit Weeks. He suffered a gruesome ankle injury in the second quarter of the Tigers’ game against Baylor. The fan commented, “the defense was atrocious but thats not the cop out ppl think it is. its still kellys job to build a good defense around his star qb and he didnt do that and still isnt doing it. it is unfortunate tho that their star linebacker got injured that is a big part.”

Many fans could not be okay with the fact that LSU underwent a 16-27 loss to Florida Gators. And of course, the HC had to bear the heat. That’s how the fans’ notion about Brian Kelly has changed as one of them wrote, “He’s trash and overrated.” It’s a make-or-break season for Brian Kelly. Will he be able to make use of the chance to earn his LSU forever pass?