Following the tragic death of LSU star receiver Kyren Lacy, the Tigers' football coach, Brian Kelly. has finally broken his silence on the matter.

Coach Kelly spoke to the media on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, after the Tigers' practice (via TMZ). He praised his former player, calling Lacy a “bright star.” Kelly is the latest LSU figure to pay homage to Lacy, as his former teammate, Malik Nabers, also did.

“He had an incredible personality,” praised Kelly. “I'll remember him as somebody who had a love for the game, a love for being a Tiger and was a guy that played with great emotion. When you think of Kyren, you're gonna smile most of the time because of the way he handled himself. He was a guy that was full of energy, and I think a lot of his teammates will remember him that way as well.”

While players were not available for interviews due to their mourning of Lacy on April 15, Kelly bravely spoke. He said that players will be available on Thursday, April 17, for interviews.

“I think everybody on our team has, in some way, had a relationship at different levels with Kyren, so everybody's gonna deal with it differently,” Kelly explained. “There's not one way that you're supposed to feel.”

The team is also utilizing LSU's professional counseling services to help them process the death. Hopefully, they are able to work through what is undoubtedly a difficult time.

LSU football star Kyren Lacy's death

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On Saturday, April 12, 2025, LSU star Kren Lacy died — he played for the Tigers and Brian Kelly for the last three years. He was getting ready to be one of the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, coming off his best season at LSU.

Lacy started his collegiate career with Louisiana before transferring to LSU in 2022. During his time with the team, LSU won 39 games in three seasons.

He was also coming off his best season with the Tigers. Lacy caught 58 passes for 866 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024. The only category he did not exceed 2023 in was his yards-per-catch. He averaged 18.6 in 2023 and 14.9 in 2024.

However, Lacy was involved in a controversy before his death. He was arrested for a hit-and-run crash that killed a man and injured others. He was later charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death, and reckless operation of a vehicle. The case was set to continue on Monday, April 14, 2025, before his death.