Shouldn’t they start with the generals?
No, it’s usually the coordinators who are the first to go. But often that only delays the inevitable movement toward the generals, aka the head football coach and the athletic director in college football’s world.
Such is the case at LSU less than a day after No. 3 Texas A&M’s Armageddon on LSU by 49-25 Saturday night at an emptying Tiger Stadium with fires still burning.
LSU picked a fine time to raise season ticket prices – the day before the low ebb of Brian Kelly era. And Governor Jeff Landry wants an audible. Or, maybe, LSU is building a war chest for a new coach? Column: https://t.co/g6j0ax2pSQ
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) October 26, 2025
After the worst loss of his LSU career – not by points but more importantly by timing – and “Fire Kelly” chants throughout the second half, coach Brian Kelly promised staff changes, but he doesn’t plan on firing or demoting himself.
“That’s not my decision in terms of whether I’m here or not,” Kelly said after a game in which his Tigers (5-3, 2-3 SEC) were outscored 35-7 in the second half for the earliest third loss and playoff exit of his four-year LSU career. LSU also dropped out of the Associated Press poll on Sunday this early in a season for the first time since Kelly’s first season in 2022 … before later returning.
That decision is LSU athletic director Scott Woodward’s call, but Woodward – one of the top generals at LSU – could, or at least should, be in trouble himself for hiring Kelly as football general at $100 million a year for 10 years before the 2022 season. And that has a ridiculous buyout for Kelly of $53 million, if he is honorably discharged without cause in this his fourth season.
Feeling the heat, Kelly said Saturday night that staff changes are on the table, and others began reporting more on that Sunday morning.
Staff shakeup is expected at LSU, sources tell @Sheadixon and me. https://t.co/lQy9kP520U https://t.co/VZPCkMWiUk
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) October 26, 2025
“Sources have told On3 that coaching staff changes could come as soon as Sunday afternoon,” Pete Nakos wrote.
Funny, Brian Kelly, who is an LSU football source you might say, said staff changes could be coming at his press conference after the game.
“This is about how you get your football team to play better, so I have to evaluate everything,” Kelly said. “From top down.”
Asked if that means “evaluating” his assistant coaches, Kelly said, “Of course. I mean you’re going to evaluate everything. I think you have to look at everything we do offensively, everything that is being done defensively. Special teams was atrocious.”
The lieutenants usually first to go as interference for the head coach at LSU in this war game are offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, who has been taking fire since his first season last year, and second-year defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who is performing another late-season dive.
The special teams coach is Aman Anand, who is not even listed with the 10 front line assistant coaches. He is referred to by LSU as a “senior special teams analyst” after one season last year at Grambling as special teams coordinator and the 2023 season as Texas Southern’s special teams coordinator. Before that, he was special teams “quality control coach” at Baylor.
Analysts and quality control coaches are entry level posts. And Anand’s unit looked that part Saturday night in allowing a 79-yard punt return that gave A&M a 28-18 lead midway through the third quarter that basically ended the game after LSU led 18-14 at halftime. Anand’s kickoff coverage unit allowed a 43-yard return to open the second half and set the Aggies up for the go-ahead TD and 21-18 lead.
Sloan’s offense scored a mop-up TD in the final moments amid backups and totaled 89 yards and seven first downs in the second half. Baker’s defense surrendered 168 yards, 11 first downs and 28 points in the second half.
“All those things fall on me, so that’s what I have to fix,” Kelly said. “And we have to do that immediately.”
Sloan, Baker, Anand, call them by whatever title you want. But one, two or all of them are about to be infantry scapegoats. Yet, Kelly is the one who hired them. And Woodward hired Kelly.
Sooner or later, LSU will get to the generals.
Funny, Texas A&M (8-0, 5-0 SEC) is just now recovering from Woodward’s wrath on its program. It was Woodward as the Aggies’ athletic director who hired Jimbo Fisher to be A&M’s coach before the 2018 season at $75 million for 10 years, and Fisher is still being paid a $75 million buyout since his firing late in the 2023 season. New coach Mike Elko has the Aggies off to their best start since 1992 in his second year.
The general who hired Woodward from A&M to be LSU’s athletic director in 2019? Former LSU president F. King Alexander, who left LSU later in 2019. LSU is expected to name its fourth president since Alexander soon.
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