Brian Kelly shares significance of two straight 10-win seasons for LSU

LSU head coach Brian Kelly recently wrapped up his second season at the helm for the Tigers, leading the program to their second straight 10-win season following their 35-31 win over Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Year in and year out the Tigers’ program is one of many in the nation that has championship expectations and aspirations, but achieving double-digit win seasons is also an accomplished within itself and a benchmark that most teams dream of reaching at the end of the year. Following their bowl victory, Kelly spoke to the significance of getting to the 10-win mark for a second straight season in Baton Rouge.

“Well, I really think it stabilizes the program,” Kelly said. “Stability within your program, stability within the ranks of your recruitment.”

Kelly has done a great job of keeping LSU stable since his arrival to The Bayou following 12 straight seasons at Notre Dame, bringing the Tigers back to a winning record for the first time since their 2019 national championship season in his first year with the program. In that same 2022 season, he also led LSU to an SEC West division title and an appearance in the SEC Championship game.

The Tigers weren’t able to reach those same heights in 2023, but still were able to maintain their winning ways under Kelly. Headlined by a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback powering one of the nation’s most effective offensive attacks in the nation this past season.

“So for us, it’s been recruiting, development, and retention and you do that but you can’t do it effectively when you’re say 3-9 or 4-8,” Kelly explained. “But when you have back-to-back 10-win seasons and you’re doing it with bowl victories as well that build on it going into the offseason it certainly helps a lot.”

Kelly’s most recent 2024 signing class was one of the nation’s best, ranked No. 7 in the country and No. 4 in the SEC according to On3’s 2024 Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings. LSU has also secured commitments from some promising talent through the transfer portal as well this offseason from players like former Liberty wide receiver CJ Daniels and Vanderbilt quarterback AJ Swann.

There’s no doubt that LSU’s success early and often under Kelly has helped the program in numerous areas, but it will be interesting to see how Kelly and the Tigers manage in a new-look SEC for the 2024 season and beyond.