Brian Kelly’s name is back in the coaching mix, and this time it’s Maryland doing the asking.
The former LSU head coach recently interviewed for the Terrapins’ opening after Mike Locksley was fired last month, according to On3. For a coach who was dismissed from LSU last year, the interest is a reminder that his stock hasn’t vanished at the Power 4 level.
Kelly, a Massachusetts native, could make more sense in College Park than he did in Baton Rouge. He was also previously tied to the Maryland job and to Rutgers, with the Scarlet Knights potentially moving on from Greg Schiano.
Even after the LSU exit, it never felt like Kelly’s coaching career was finished. He’s still carrying a résumé that commands attention: a 297-109-2 record as a head coach. That kind of track record keeps doors open.
Kelly is now in his first year as an on-air analyst for CBS Sports, and he’s been candid about how his LSU tenure ended. In an interview with Front Office Sports, he didn’t dodge the disappointment.
"I didn't live up to the standards that are set there at LSU," Kelly said in an interview with Front Office Sports. "They brought me in to win a national championship, and there was a lot of work that needed to be done to get there.
More so than than many thought. But at the end of the day, I didn't get to that level of expectation that they had, and that is to win a national championship.
And Lane will have the same expectations.
"It's like anything else. You know, sooner or later, you have to let your the work speak for itself. You got to win football games, and at LSU, all that other stuff means nothing, provided you win enough games."
Kelly’s LSU run ended with a 34-14 record. That’s a strong mark almost anywhere else. At LSU, it wasn’t enough.
In Other News...
Texas Hits Unexpected Travel Snag Right Before LSU Showdown
Texas ran into an unexpected hurdle on the way to Baton Rouge this week, with the Longhorns caught in a nationwide ground stop ordered by the FAA on Nov. 13. The disruption stemmed from air traffic control communications problems affecting facilities across the country, and it put a wrinkle into a normal game-week routine for a team preparing to face LSU.
For the Tigers, it is another reminder that a marquee matchup can be shaped by more than what happens between the lines. Several college football teams were affected by the same travel issue heading into weekend games, and it remains unclear how long the delays will last or whether they will have any impact on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Biggest Texas Question Still Comes Down To Whit Weeks
Whit Weeks remains the name LSU fans will watch closest as the Tigers get ready for Texas, with the final injury report listing the linebacker as questionable but expected to dress and test his leg during warmups. That keeps the focus on one of LSUs most important defensive pieces heading into a matchup that already carries plenty of weight, while starting right tackle Weston Davis is probable and defensive lineman Gabe Reliford is off the report entirely, a sign he could be back in the mix as well.
The other side of the equation may be just as important, since Texas star edge Colin Simmons is not on the injury report after missing time with a high ankle sprain. For LSU, the question is less about the headline names on paper and more about how much Weeks can actually give them once warmups start, because his availability could shape how the Tigers handle a Longhorns front that appears to be getting healthier at the right time. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Lost An Early Recruiting Fight That Should Sting Fans
LSU has already taken an early hit on the recruiting trail in the 2028 cycle, and it came from a player close enough to the border to matter. Tanner Seaton, a top interior offensive lineman from Madison, Mississippi, has pledged to Ole Miss after weighing offers from several SEC programs, including LSU, Tennessee and Mississippi State.
For Tigers fans, the sting is less about one commitment than what it says about the battle ahead in a region where recruiting wars are rarely quiet. Ole Miss is off to a fast start with five 2028 pledges and a class that 247Sports Composite has ranked sixth nationally, so LSU will have to answer quickly if it wants to keep from letting an in-state rival build momentum this early. [Read more 🡒]