Pete Thamel: LSU coordinator Brian Polian transitioning to off-field role

LSU special teams coordinator Brian Polian is transitioning to an off-field role, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Tuesday. He’ll move into a position similar to a general manager.

Last year was Polian’s first as special teams coordinator as he joined new coach Brian Kelly’s staff. Now, according to Thamel, he will help manage the roster, NIL and the transfer portal. It also creates a vacancy the staff.

Polian came over with Kelly from Notre Dame, where he was on the staff from 2005-09 and again from 2017-21. He also worked as the special teams coordinator at Stanford and Texas A&M before landing his first head coaching opportunity at Nevada from 2013-16. He totaled a 23-27 record with the Wolf Pack, including a 14-18 record in Mountain West play before his firing in 2016.

Joel Klatt details why LSU can contend in 2023

LSU can contend in 2023, according to Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt. The Tigers went 10-4 in 2022 in the first year under Brian Kelly.

With two good quarterbacks coming back and a top five recruiting class in 2023, it might be time to seriously consider LSU as a top contender. The Tigers took down Alabama last year en route to an SEC West title. That was initially unfathomable in Year 1 under Kelly.

With that type of springboard, LSU could surprise even more people in 2023.

“Listen, Brian Kelly had something going,” Klatt said on his podcast. “Now, I’ve said this before, and I will continue to say it, the win over Alabama was more of the outlier for them this year than the norm. Than the mean. And you just look at their year and the games that they lost and some of the games that they played and that becomes painfully clear, but they were able to do it.

“So we know at least on the top end, that LSU has that gear. Okay, so they’ve got that club in their bag. Maybe LSU is primed for a bit of a run.”