Since LSU composed one of the most dominant seasons in college football history in 2019-20, going 15-0 and smashing Clemson in the national title game, the program has endured loads of disappointment. Brian Kelly brought stability back to Baton Rouge upon arriving ahead of the 2022 campaign, but the Tigers plateaued under his helm and could not re-enter the championship conversation.

They were even unable to capitalize on an expanded 12-team Playoff format and actually regressed in each of the last two years. A 49-25 home loss versus undefeated Texas A&M convinced the LSU decision-makers that new leadership is needed immediately. Following a buyout, Kelly becomes the latest head coach to get fired in the middle of the 2025-26 season.

This huge development highlights a larger trend, as more athletic departments are becoming less patient amid the added opportunities to compete for a championship. Georgia's Kirby Smart, arguably the best active HC in the sport, does not feel informed enough to speak directly on the Kelly situation. However, he did lend some insight into what it is like working in Death Valley.

LSU football expects greatness  

“I coached at LSU, guy once told me, ‘That office you are in. That's not your office. You are borrowing it,'” Smart told reporters on Monday, per the SEC Mike X account. “I knew right then, if you didn't win, you wouldn't be there long.”

Smart served as the Tigers defensive backs coach in 2004. He did not return the following year, as former LSU head coach Nick Saban jumped to the NFL's Miami Dolphins. The future two-time national champ instead became the new running backs coach for his Alma mater of Georgia.

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Although he did not spend much time there, Smart understands how hot it can get in the Bayou State. Brian Kelly knows this as well as anyone.

The two-time AP College Football Coach of the Year was unable to capture a signature victory, a criticism that also defined much of his tenure at Notre Dame. Such a shortcoming is acceptable in some places, but not at LSU, and not in this current climate. Both Penn State and the Fighting Irish have proven that a squad can be labeled a fraud and still advance deep into the College Football Playoff. The Tigers did not even get that far.

When a program of LSU's stature is competing in non-marquee bowl games, the consequences will be fierce. Kirby Smart says it best. “There's so much built around the Playoffs, everything's boom or bust,” he said. “And you can't have a normal season. People have to make decisions earlier based on how somebody does.”

The search for Baton Rouge's next borrower begins now.