Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Coach Who Will be off the Hot Seat After 2025

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jan 18, 2025 9:00 PM ET

Although the 2024 college football season has not ended yet, some are already discussing the next season. One of those individuals is ESPN's Paul Finebaum.

Finebaum, known as the "Voice of the SEC," discussed potential head coaches who might be on the hot seat in 2025 during his radio show, "The Paul Finebaum Show." Among those he mentioned was Brian Kelly, head coach of the LSU Tigers.

Kelly has a record of 29-11 in his three seasons as head coach of LSU. However, it can be argued that the team's performance has declined each year. In his first season, LSU finished with a record of 10-4 and reached the SEC Championship Game, where they lost to the Georgia Bulldogs. Since that season, he has not made another appearance in a conference championship game. This past year, the team finished with a 9-4 record after starting the season 6-1.

While Finebaum believes Kelly will be on the hot seat in 2025, he also thinks LSU will have a successful year.

"I don't think Brian Kelly is going to be in trouble because I think that he's going to have a big year," Finebaum said. "I think Brian Kelly is going to beat Clemson in the opener and he's going to be in the playoff next year."

The Tigers are set for an exciting season ahead. They welcome back star quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who threw for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, completing 64.2% of his passes last season. In addition, they have the top transfer portal class in the country, according to 247Sports. They also finished with the No. 8 recruiting class in the country.

All those factors could indicate a significant season ahead for Kelly and LSU.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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