Brian Kelly details timeline for LSU football to contend for national championship
First, LSU women's basketball won a national championship in Kim Mulkey's second season. Then, LSU baseball won the College World Series in Jay Johnson's second season.
Well, Brian Kelly's second season approaches. Make room for another trophy?
Hang on just a second.
Kelly, in a recent interview with the USA TODAY Network, identified Year 3 as the season his Tigers should be expected to seriously contend for a national championship. That's 2024. Nonetheless, hype builds for Kelly's second season after the Tigers won the SEC West in his debut.
On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams dissect Kelly's comments and what they might mean.
Toppmeyer, in June, sat down with Kelly for a 45-minute interview in Baton Rouge. Kelly pulled back the curtain with insights into his rationale for taking the LSU job, why he welcomes playing Alabama annually after the SEC expands to 16 teams, and his timeline for the Tigers' ascent.
Asked when he thinks LSU will be ready to seriously contend for a national championship, Kelly said this:
“We need another year of recruiting -- one more really good year on both sides of the ball, I think, puts us in a position where, I think Year 3, the consistency piece, the depth of our program, the messaging, all the things we do on a day-to-day basis, puts us in a position to compete for a championship.
"This year will be Year 2. The foundation is in place. I think there’s a really good confidence within the group. We’ve got good players. There’s some holes. There’s a little air coming out of the tire here and there. I think we’ve kind of patched most of it."
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EXCLUSIVE:LSU football's Brian Kelly explains his timeline for winning a national championship
You could look at Kelly's comments in one of a few ways: He might be trying to downplay expectations and pressures facing his 2023 Tigers. LSU is ranked as high as No. 6 nationally in one major preseason ranking. Or, he could hope his comments become added fuel for his Tigers.
But, if you take Kelly's comments at face value, they make sense. LSU was depth-deficient when Kelly got the job, and although he's used the transfer portal to his advantage, it's reasonable to think another recruiting class is required before the Tigers will become serious national title contenders.
Ed Orgeron and Les Miles won national titles in their third seasons coaching LSU, and Nick Saban lifted LSU to a national title in his fourth season.
"I think Year 3 is probably the year where I’ll feel, in terms of building a program, we’ve had enough time to really put the pieces together," Kelly said.
Mulkey, too, downplayed national championship expectations last winner. Then her Tigers claimed the crown in April.
Later in the episode
– Why Zach Arnett, Hugh Freeze and Kelly could rank among the so-called winners at SEC Media Days.
– Will the media pick LSU to win the SEC West? Don't count on it. Alabama looms large in preseason polling.
Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered
Blake Toppmeyer is the SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. John Adams is the senior columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. You can subscribe to their podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.