The $100 million Brian Kelly experiment in Louisiana failed miserably. While Lane Kiffin has now taken over, the recent LSU AD’s comments have again stirred the past tensions. Now, national analyst Josh Pate argues the true cause of defensive lapses and stagnant recruiting.
Josh Pate Explains Brian Kelly’s Disconnect With LSU Culture
Pate appeared on his podcast and explained how Kelly’s disconnect with LSU wasn’t an accident but a choice. He said, “Now, you can think that’s ego, and it is, but it’s not without merit because Brian Kelly has won a lot of football games.”
Pate detailed how Kelly’s refusal to lean into the unique LSU culture eventually became a point of pride, and then a point of failure.
“I think he went down there and said, ‘I don’t need to do all this. I’ll fake an accent for you, but I don’t need to embrace this. This place needs to embrace me. I’m the winner. I’m the one who’s won for a long time. I’ve done this stuff my whole career. I’ll do it here,’” Pate continued.
“And I think it got to a point where that became such the mentality that when he listened to people from Louisiana talk about how he needed to embrace Louisiana, it almost became radioactive to him.”
On paper, Kelly’s tenure started strong with back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2022 and 2023. However, the cracks were visible early.
By 2024, despite an elite offensive line, the Tigers slipped to 9-4. By the midpoint of 2025, the wheels had completely fallen off.
Under Kelly’s hand-picked staff, the defense plummeted in national rankings, punctuated by the 49-25 blowout at home against the Texas A&M Aggies. In addition, reports emerged that Kelly had become checked out of the grueling SEC recruiting trail.
The decision to pull the plug mid-season was not taken lightly, especially given Kelly’s massive contract. But with the arrival of Kiffin and a renewed focus on the Louisiana footprint, the Tigers are looking to reclaim their identity.
LSU opens the 2026 campaign with a high-stakes showdown against Clemson in Death Valley. The goal is no longer just winning games.
It’s about restoring a culture that Kelly tried to replace with himself. As Pate succinctly put it: “If you don’t want to embrace the culture, don’t take the job. The worst thing to do is take the job and then not embrace it.”
MORE: “Yes Lane Kiffin Social Butterfly Lol’: CFB World Reacts As LSU AD Exposes Brian Kelly Problems“
