Josh Pate explains how Brian Kelly 'never understood the assignment' at LSU

News of Brian Kelly’s firing from LSU broke live Sunday night during Josh Pate’s College Football Show. The update came less than 24 hours after the Tigers' 49-25 loss to Texas A&M, a defeat that dropped the Tigers to 5-3 and 2-3 in SEC play. Pate stopped mid-segment during his livestream and informed viewers that LSU had dismissed its head coach.

“This is crazy timing,” he said. “Brian Kelly has been fired as the coach at LSU as we’re speaking. We’ll mark it about 7:09 p.m. Central. LSU has fired Brian Kelly.” He called the moment “impeccable timing” and shifted directly into reaction. “Let’s react to this live. Brian Kelly is done. He is out as the head coach at LSU.”

Cultural Disconnect Defined Kelly’s LSU Tenure

Pate said Kelly never connected with the state or program in a way that previous LSU coaches had. “Brian Kelly never understood the assignment at LSU. He never understood what the L stood for. It stands for Louisiana,” he said. “Brian Kelly had no interest in Louisiana. He had interest in two letters. One of them is B. The other one’s K.” He accused Kelly of forcing out longtime local figures, including former strength coach Tommy Moffitt, and said that move hurt the foundation of the program.

He also compared Kelly to Nick Saban, noting that being an outsider wasn’t the issue. “Saban wasn’t from the South either, and he’s the best they’ve ever had there,” Pate said. “He looked at the LSU job and was attracted to it because of Louisiana. Kelly was attracted to it because he thought he could make a lot of money and win the way he always had.”