The world is nothing if not a tad ironic sometimes. The Tigers have been wagging their proverbial tails as they prance through this offseason. HC Brian Kelly and LSU’s shortcomings on National Signing Day have largely been offset via the transfer portal. They’ve got one of the top portal classes across CFB. However, one position group seemed to have remained stuck in the abyss of mediocrity that was the 2024 season- safety. The secondary was one of LSU’s biggest problems. As the contents and quality available depleted, echoes of concern were reverberating across Baton Rouge. Maybe the echoes were so loud that Brian Kelly overcorrected this issue at safety. As a result, these echoes have yet to dissipate.

Not only did Kelly add the no.1 S traversing the portal in Tamarcus Cooley. He’s even hired a new member of staff who specializes in coaching the position group. The coaching carousel that tends to ensue this time of year caused Miami to hire a new defensive coordinator in Corey Hetherman from Minnesota. Hence, their previous one in Lance Guidry became available. Guidry now joins LSU as a defensive analyst. However, one football savant is not convinced Guidry fills the remit of what LSU needs. Neither is he convinced about his pedigree.

AYS Sports’ head honcho Blake Ruffino took to his YouTube channel to leverage his views about this hire of Lance Guidry. “You’re going to shade [hiring Guidry] as the Louisiana connection,” he said. Lance Guidry is a Welch, LA native and coached high school football in the state all the way until his breakthrough into the collegiate ranks.

Ruffino implied that this shouldn’t deter people from keeping the main thing the main thing. “You could have found another big analyst defensively that did not coach safeties. Like, let’s not be naive here,” he said. That’s an indictment on Lance Guidry, who was a safeties coach at Florida Atlantic and Marshall before his Miami stint. Here’s a rationale for this discernment. 

In giving precedence to the weakest part of his defense, Brian Kelly may have overcorrected and as a result, weakened other parts. At Miami, Lance Guidry’s defense was notoriously bad against the run. They gave up over 112 yards on the ground on average. In terms of points, the Canes gave up over 25, ranked 69th in the country. The eye test lines up with these stats. Miami’s defense was their Achilles heel in not making the CFP. They did fire Guidry after all, and he does represent damaged goods in some ways. The Canes faithful were very happy to see the back of him too. That said, it’s not all bad.

Guidry does come in as an analyst, which is a step down from coordinator. It gives him an opportunity to build his stock back up while having a deference to new DC Blake Baker. Plus, Brian Kelly could do with some help in coaching safeties after all. Yes, he’s retooled, but it’s still an amalgamation of new players across the secondary, including at corner. Their pass defense should see an upturn in theory. It may yet be a good hire for LSU. A hire that they would never even have needed to make if not for Bill Belichick snapping up Kelly’s trusted right-hand man on defense.

Brian Kelly put into action by Bill Belichick luring his previous defensive analyst to Chapel Hill

Bob Diaco, who served across multiple years and capacities for Brian Kelly, has now moved over to ply his trade with Bill Belichick at UNC. Diaco was with Kelly during his stints at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame. Right into his current duties in Death Valley. The two diverged after the Irish’s run to the Natty in 2012 when Diaco even won the Broyles Award for the best assistant coach in CFB. He took on head coaching duties at UConn. About 10 years on, the two converged again at LSU. But Bill Belichick has now uprooted this relationship yet again.

The allure of working directly under the greatest defensive mind in football history is an enticing prospect. It’s not a surprise Diaco jumped ship over to North Carolina when the opportunity presented itself. However, it did leave Brian Kelly stranded. Now that he’s replaced him with Lance Guidry, there’s a decrease in synergy and reliance within his staff. At least initially.

Ruffino’s judgment about Lance Guidry’s prowess in other areas of defense is not irrational. That, in tandem with the loss of Diaco, does breed concern. Coach Kelly has been backed by the program full-fledged this offseason. A more prosperous 2025 is requisite, and he’s going to need to make things work.