Brian Kelly coaching record: How the LSU HC has transformed the Tigers in two seasons?

Brian Kelly surprised many when he left Notre Dame to become LSU's head coach in 2022.

Kelly was with the Fighting Irish for 12 years but decided to take the job with the Tigers, which included a massive raise. He more than tripled his previous salary, from his 2021 salary of $2.67 million with Notre Dame to $9 million in 2022 with LSU.

After two seasons as the head coach of the LSU Tigers, how has Kelly fared?

Brian Kelly's record at LSU

In Brian Kelly's first season at LSU, the Tigers went 10-4, which included going 6-2 in SEC play.

LSU won the West Division, but the Tigers lost 50-30 to the Georgia Bulldogs in the Conference championship. Kelly and LSU rebounded after the blowout loss to defeat Purdue 63-7 in the Citrus Bowl.

This past season, the LSU Tigers went 10-3 while going 6-2 in conference play once again. The Tigers finished their season with a 35-31 win over Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl and ended the year with four straight wins.

As the head coach of LSU, Kelly has gone 20-7 and enters 2024 with a ton of confidence, as before his first year, the coach said he took the job to lead the school to championships.

"I came down here because I wanted to be with the best," Kelly said in his introductory press conference. "The standard of expectation. You're looked at in terms of championships here and I want that. I want to be under the bright lights... That's part of the draw."

LSU will open its 2024 season on Sept. 1 against USC.

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Brian Kelly's coaching career

Brian Kelly got his first head coaching gig with Grand Valley State in 1992.

Kelly was the coach of the Lakers for 13 years before taking a job at Central Michigan. He served as the coach of the Chippewas for just three seasons before taking over the Cincinnati Bearcats head coach.

After a successful four-year stint at Cincinnati, he got the job at Notre Dame, which he then parlayed to LSU.

In his lengthy college career, Kelly is 283-103-2, but that doesn't include the 12 wins in 2012 and the nine wins in 2013 Notre Dame had to vacate.