The LSU Tigers haven’t quite lived up to expectations during the Brian Kelly era.
Over the past four years, Kelly’s teams went 34-14 and defied expectations at nearly every turn, while the venerable coach self-destructed and was eventually chased out of town and fired midway through the 2025 season. The Tigers remain in the spotlight this offseason, hiring former Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin and then continuing to dominate the transfer portal and assembling a roster that appears to have a chance to contend for a College Football Playoff berth this fall.
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So, with the regime change in Baton Rouge, is it time to look back and try to figure out what went wrong? LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry said the answer is yes.
Osbury detailed in an exclusive interview with USA Today that the main problem was the show’s connection, or lack thereof, under Kelly. To make things better, the Tigers are aiming to get back to the old ways when legendary coach Nick Saban coached in Baton Rouge.
“It’s going to be back to Saban mode,” Osbury told USA TODAY Sports of the program’s redirection. “(That means) running the whole program. Then, you have to do some things with alumni, do some things with supporters, do fundraising things with NIL. You have to be a part of that.”
Ausberry believes Kiffin can do it right. He is personable, outgoing, and willing to participate in social events and social media.
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“That’s what Ryan does,” Osbury continued. “He would go out and have conversations with donors and people who support the project and (say) ‘We need your help,’ and then give them his cell phone number. He wouldn’t say, ‘Well, I don’t want people to contact me. I don’t want people to touch me. I don’t want people to be around me.'” That’s the guy we have. That’s why we get what we get. There is no feeling, no connection between the LSU football program, coaches and fans. “
While Ausbury didn’t mention Kelly by name, it’s clear he has a lot of frustration with how the program is being run, especially in this new era of college football where small talk with donors and alumni is a staple of the sport. If Kiffin can do that, it would be a step in the right direction for the Tigers.
While donors are important, Ausberry is also looking for more connections between coaches, players and staff in LSU’s building. This is something Kelly could never create.
Ausberry said there was “no connection and no building” when Kelly was coach. “Not a lot of staff are in touch. Former players aren’t in touch. Yeah, that’s what I’m saying.”
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While winning on the field is more important than anything else, building a culture behind the scenes is key to helping the Tigers achieve this goal. Kiffin has a lot of weight on his shoulders heading into the new year, but he has lived up to those expectations in the past. We’ll see if he can do it again.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: LSU returns to ‘Saban model’ after contact issues with Brian Kelly