Brian Kelly is coming, all guns blazing, stockpiling players, and hiring revamped staff for the 2025 season. The last three seasons didn’t produce what LSU Nation was used to: consistent Natty wins. And now, in the absence of that, the 2025 season becomes a turning point in Kelly’s LSU career. The staff hirings then came in quickly for LSU, like Alex Atkins (TE and Run game coordinator) and Brian Williams, coming to replace Bo Davis, their stalwart D-line coach, who went to the Saints. But, despite all these hirings, one thing is still missing for LSU. And if last year taught Kelly lessons, it won’t be a good idea to pass on hiring one.

LSU was ranked 112th last year in punt return average, garnering just 4.71 yards per punt and no touchdowns. Moreover, the Tigers’ kickoff return also regressed as the team was at the bottom of the SEC and had just 39.56 yards per punt. The only reason why LSU’s special teams became manageable was probably because of Mississippi State transfer returner Zavion Thomas and the freshman kickoff return specialist Aeron Burrell. Burrel, particularly, was on his life’s form after recording 66 of the 74 kickoffs as touchbacks. But why were the special teams the problem?

Well, last year too, the team didn’t have a special teams coordinator, and the tight end coach, Slade Nagle, oversaw the whole thing single-handedly. This workload and multifaceted role hampered his ability to concentrate on special teams, and hence the regression. But this year, even Nagle isn’t there, and anyone would guess that special team stats would regress even more, right? Well, the hypothesis is correct, but the conclusion? It may be a bit misplaced. Take, for instance, the recent hiring of former Tennessee offensive Lineman Jackson Lampley.

Lampley enrolled for the Vols in the 2019 season as a four-star recruit from Nashville, and with his eligibility ending, he was thinking of transitioning to coaching. And that’s when Brian Kelly knocked on his door and hired him as an offensive intern. But how does this connect to the special teams’ agenda? Well, Matt Moscona, an LSU insider, in his May 16th video, talked about how Lampley’s hiring serves the blueprint that Kelly followed last year, and the same blueprint the head coach is trying to bring in this year, too.

“He’s an offensive intern. And the thing I think that is most important to remember with the support staff now in college football is that your support staff can coach on the field. And that is just that’s so critical because you’re one of the 10 full-time staff members who get pulled in so many different directions. But really, now the only differentiator is that those 10 full-time staff members can coach off the field or can recruit, excuse me, away from campus.”. The idea undoubtedly aligns with Kelly’s mindset.

The hiring clearly shows why Brian Kelly managed to survive without hiring a special-teams coach, and Lampley’s hiring aligns with that. For starters, the OL has the SEC experience and has appeared in 52 games in total at Tennessee. Just last year, Lampley protected Nico Iamaleava and led the Vols to their first-ever playoff experience. All that, while not allowing a single QB hit or pressure from inside, in the 230 snaps he took last season. Now with this level of experience and quality, Lampley fits perfectly to coach players while LSU’s O-line coach Brad Davis goes off to recruit those five-star linemen without worrying too much about the coaching job. As for LSU’s special teams, they just got a new man for the job, but it’s not a coach, but an analyst.

Brian Kelly’s special teams woes get a subpar upgrade?

Brian Kelly has hired former Grambling’s special teams coordinator Aman Anand. While the analyst will not serve in the capacity of a coach, since Brian Kelly is hindered by the 10-staff cap imposed by the program. Still, his hiring brings a fresh and revamped approach to special teams, with the hope that last year’s debacles won’t follow Kelly again. Anand, while not serving as an on-field assistant, has still done a lot in his previous stint with Grambling.

In his time at the Gramblings, Anand led the team to second spot in blocked kicks and blocked punts. Moreover, the team finished 14th nationally in kickoff average at 16.75 yards per return. Talk about punt returns? The Grambling special teams coach led the team to rank 36th in the country and 43rd in kickoff returns. So, yes, Anand’s hiring will be a breath of fresh air at LSU. Still, the question lingers: Should LSU have gone with a full-time on-field coach?

Well, if Aman’s hiring will bear fruit or not, only time will tell. But one thing is clear: Brian Kelly is sticking to his blueprint that he followed last year. And both Anand’s and Lampley’s hiring is a testament to that. As for Kelly’s woes, they are getting more tangled.