All eyes are on Brian Kelly as he begins his second season as head coach of the LSU Tigers.
Kelly has been the head coach of four different collegiate football teams before coming to LSU, so this isn’t his first time being the “new coach on campus.” His former coaching years have set some sort of precedent to predict how his current team will perform.
Have Kelly’s second year teams had more success than his first-year teams?
Kelly’s first head coaching job was at Grand Valley State where he led the football team for 13 years. During his first season in 1991, the Lakers had an overall record of 9-3 with an NCAA DII playoff appearance. The team also had eight players win national awards at the end of the season, making Kelly’s first head coaching appearance a success.
Kelly’s second-year team at Grand Valley State showed little to no improvement, ending with an 8-3 overall record and no playoff appearance.
His second head coaching job was at Central Michigan. Although he only coached for three years, Kelly made a significant impact on the Chippewas’ football program.
At the end of his first year, Central Michigan ended with a 4-7 record, but in 2005 they improved to a 6-5 record. It’s important to note that in his final year coaching for Central Michigan, the Chippewas won their first division championship and were Mid-American Conference champions.
Three days after winning the Mid-American Conference championship, Kelly accepted the head coaching job at Cincinnati, leading the Bearcats to their final postseason win.
Although Kelly took over at Cincinnati in 2006, his first full season leading the Bearcats was not until 2007. They ended the season with a 10-3 record. In 2008, they improved their record by one win, ending with an 11-3 season record. That season, Cincinnati kept a six-win streak. That streak was ended when the Virginia Tech Hokies handed them a 20-7 loss at the Orange Bowl.
Kelly moved his coaching career to Notre Dame in 2010, where the Fighting Irish ended their first season with an 8-5 record. Although his 2011 team ended with the same 8-5 record, they began the season ranked No. 16 and noted a more rigorous schedule that year.
Looking at Kelly’s past head coaching careers, his second-year teams have either stayed consistent or improved. Looking solely at their records, none of them have worsened.
Although LSU started their season with a loss, this gives the Tigers hope that their season will improve from last season’s 10-4 overall record, and Brian Kelly can continue his streak of enhancing his team with time.
