Brian Kelly had become an unpopular figure in Louisiana before he was fired as the head coach at LSU on Sunday, and it seems like he knew the issues went beyond football.
ESPN published a story on Tuesday that laid out five reasons why Kelly’s tenure of three-plus years at LSU was unsuccessful. One of the reasons listed was that Kelly “never seemed to fit in.” Reporters Mark Schlabach and Adam Rittenberg said Kelly was aware of the disconnect and worked with an image consultant in Washington, D.C., last offseason in hopes of improving his public persona.
Whatever Kelly and the consultant worked on did not seem to have a significant impact. While winning can usually resolve most issues for a coach and team, Kelly opened himself up to criticism even when LSU was undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the nation earlier this season.
Following LSU’s 20-10 win over Florida in Week 3, a reporter asked Kelly about the offensive struggles that the Tigers had been having. Kelly went off on the reporter and berated him for being “spoiled.” You can see the video here.
That was a bad look for Kelly. But there may have been no worse look for the Massachusetts native than the speech he gave days after he was hired by LSU in 2021. Kelly addressed Tigers fans at halftime of LSU’s basketball game against Ohio State, and he blatantly faked a southern accent. The 64-year-old was never able to fully live that down.
Again, winning typically resolves everything. Had Kelly led LSU to a College Football Playoff, Tigers fans and Louisiana natives would have liked him just fine. His inability to live up to expectations as a coach is what led to his dismissal, but the lack of popularity did not help.
