In a recent interview with Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY Sports, current LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly discussed the national championship aspirations on the Bayou.
“I think the program is now built on a foundation that they can go compete for a championship,” Kelly stated. Should that come to fruition at LSU, he would become the fourth straight Tigers head coach to bring a title to the Bayou. That is unheard of consistency for a program with multiple head coaches since 2003.
How soon could this happen? To answer that question we need to look at the history of LSU under the previous three head coaches.
Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Ed Orgeron
Nick Saban
| Wins | Losses | Bowl Game | Season Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 4 | Peach (Win) | |
| 10 | 3 | Sugar (Win) | SEC Title |
| 8 | 5 | Cotton (Loss) | |
| 13 | 1 | Sugar (Win) | National Championship |
Les Miles
| Wins | Losses | Bowl Game | Season Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 2 | Peach (Win) | |
| 11 | 2 | Sugar (Win) | |
| 12 | 2 | BCS Title (Win) | National Championship |
| 8 | 5 | Sugar (Win) |
Ed Orgeron
| Wins | Losses | Bowl Game | Season Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 2 | Citrus (Win) | Interim Year |
| 9 | 4 | Citrus (Loss) | |
| 10 | 3 | Fiesta (Win) | |
| 15 | 0 | Peach/CFP Title (Win) | National Championship |
The last two LSU coaches won their titles in the third year, while it took Saban an extra year to bring the Tigers their first national championship since 1958.
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Brian Kelly took over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program in 2010 and led the Golden Domers to a title game appearance in 2012. Given the history of the LSU program and even what Kelly himself accomplished in South Bend, this just might be the year for him.
Kelly understands that it will be an uphill battle replacing the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback with a guy who hasn’t seen much action in three seasons with the team. Garrett Nussmeier showed flashes of what he could be in the SEC title game two seasons ago and his performance in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Outside of the quarterback situation, the defense needs to be better in 2024. Kelly stated, “if we could’ve played any semblance of defense (last season), we’re in the playoffs.”
Kelly fired his defensive coordinator following the season and brought back Blake Baker to run the unit. He served as the linebackers coach during the 2021 season. The past two seasons he was the defensive coordinator with Missouri, who is coming off an 11-2 capped off with a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State.
How Baker uses Harold Perkins could determine how good this defense can be in 2024.