‘For Louisiana, for LSU’: How Brian Kelly stayed local
As linebacker Damone Clark sacked Texas A&M quarterback Zach Calzada to secure a win on LSU’s final game of the season, Ed Ogeron’s time as the Tiger’s head coach had come to an end. Even though just minutes before, Max Johnson threw a game-winning touchdown pass to ensure the Tigers finished their season with a 6-6 record and a place in a bowl game, it was still not enough to save Ogeron’s job.
After the game, Ogeron announced he would still be leaving the program. His departure was the last of the most known characters from the 2019 National Championship winning team, with the other notable players (Joe Burrow and Clyde Edwards-Helaire to name a couple) all going to the NFL.
With his departure, the Tiger’s faced a hole in both coaching staff and in their spirit. Ogeron’s large personality as well as the talent of years past haunted the Tiger’s in their disappointing 2021 season, culminating in a resounding loss to Kansas State in the TAXACT Texas Bowl
The search for Ogeron’s replacement only took three days after their last game of the regular season, as it was announced Brian Kelly would take the reigns in Baton Rouge on November 30.
Kelly is now facing a program that lacks not only inherent personality, like that of Joe Burrow’s and Ogeron’s, but also the connection Ogeron had with the people of Baton Rouge and Louisiana, with his gravelly, Cajun proclamation of “Go Tigers” no longer a rallying war cry.
Even without having his own roots in Louisiana, Kelly is looking to cultivate some within his recruits.
Before Kelly had arrived to the Red Stick, he had been trying to recruit 5 star quarterback Walker Howard from St. Thomas Moore for his Notre Dame team.
In an interview with the Jordy Culotta Show, Jamie Howard, Walker’s father, revealed that talks with Kelly were always positive and surprisingly humble.
“(Kelly was) much more personable than I thought,” Jamie Howard said. “When you talk to him you definitely feel like you believe everything he says and you believe in his plan, in this process”
Jamie went on to say Kelly reminded him of Nick Saban, just with a few more jokes.
In ensuring Walker Howard stayed with the Tigers, Kelly was already showing his intentions to keep his recruitment as local as possible.
To follow up his addition of Howard, Kelly was also able to recruit other talented locals, like offensive lineman Emery Jones.
Jones, born and raised in Baton Rouge, has been around LSU football his entire life and understands its importance to the community of Baton Rouge and South Louisiana in general.
Kelly knew the importnace of this connection and emphasized his local recruiting. According to Jones, Catholic High and other local Baton Rouge schools were the first places Kelly came to recruit.
“When Brian Kelly first got down here, (we were) one of the first schools he came and saw so it already put a whole bunch of respect from me to his name just to show that he cared,” Jones said in an interview with Jordy Culotta. “He's coming to you know recruit baton rouge and making sure that we're straight first.”
This emphasis on recruiting Baton Rouge Louisiana as a whole has also landed Kelly with defensive tackle Wes Woodward, offensive linemen Will Campbell and Fitzgerald West Jr., and wide receiver Landon Ibieta to name a few.
While Kelly may not have the same connection to Baton Rouge and Louisiana as his predecessor, he is ensuring that his team can still connect and empower the fans like only those who bleed purple and gold can.
With high potential freshmen coming in from The Boot, Jones believes Kelly has assembled a group that can truly play with the pride that comes with it.
“Being that most of us from Louisiana, it’s real powerful,” Jones said. I feel like we’re playing for something deeper than just football. I feel like we're playing for the state of Louisiana, for LSU, for the South, so i feel like we got a chip on our back.”
Anthony Bailey
