What should it take for a head coach to be a perfect fit at LSU? For one, a head coach shouldn’t start with a fake southern accent at his inaugural press conference. Secondly, he shouldn’t change the already established culture and loyalties like Kelly did with the firing of S&C coach Tommy Moffitt. So, how about hiring a Super Bowl champion coach who won’t have to fake that southern accent, owing to his southern roots? Cherry on top? The head coach has already made his intent for the job quite clear.

We are talking about the former Buffalo Bills and New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan. He recently appeared in an interview with Adam Schefter and went on a rant about Kelly being a misfit at LSU from the start. “The very first time we saw Kelly speak publicly was at that basketball game when he brought in. I mean, historically, it was a bad thing for me. And I thought he was done from that point. I thought everybody in that LSU community is like, ‘this is a phony man, get him out of here,” said Ryan. It was surely a disastrous inaugural talk by the former LSU head coach.

Kelly was just hired at LSU, which in itself was a controversial hiring by LSU AD Scott Woodward. For one, Kelly was from the Northeast, raising doubts about his understanding of the LSU culture. But also because the head coach exited Notre Dame mid-season via a private jet, without telling players in person. On top of that, he appeared in the LSU basketball game. Instead of being himself, Kelly came out with a fake southern accent.

“Shoot. Thank you, thank you, well, that is a great way to get started, and I haven’t even won all my games yet. It’s a great night to be a Tiger. I’m here with my family, and we are so excited to be in the great state of Louisiana, but more importantly, to be with your great fans and to be part of what is going to be an incredible ride here at Louisiana State University,” said Kelly at the basketball game. With that dynamic in mind, Rex Ryan continued his rant.

“I’m like, what? Well, like number one, this is the worst hire in history to talk about a guy that doesn’t fit in. You can get a guy from anywhere, but be yourself and come back in and say, Look, I gotta admit,” said Ryan. Adam Schefter then interrupted Rex Ryan abruptly and asked, “Are you throwing your name into the ring?” Rex Ryan, without any hesitation, leaned towards the head coaching job at LSU, especially for the $54 million paycheck. “Hey, for 54 million, you’re d—  right at it, I am.” But will Rex Ryan be a perfect fit for LSU?

Probably not. For starters, the former Jets head coach has no college football head coaching experience. Even though he has worked as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma and Cincinnati, and also won the Super Bowl with the Ravens as DC. However, that was the 1990s, way before NIL and transfer portal wreaked havoc on college football. Moreover, Ryan would also be clueless about the Louisiana recruiting pipeline and LSU’s top-class norm, that too amid NIL wars between teams.

Lastly, like Kelly, Ryan’s Oklahoma origins don’t exactly scream “Cajun fire.” Not to mention, his NFL head coaching stints were unsuccessful (61-66 record). All in all, Rex Ryan’s take on interest in LSU’s job was a sarcastic dig on LSU giving him a $54 million buyout and one of the most expensive contracts. For context, Kelly earned around $10.17 million per year and was the 8th-highest-paid head coach. That was also more than what Saban got at Alabama. But who’s at fault here?

Scott Woodward’s role in hiring Brian Kelly is being scrutinized aggressively

The blame for Brian Kelly’s hiring has largely been put on LSU AD Scott Woodward. Woodward came to LSU in 2019 after his Texas A&M stint from 2016 to 2019. There, the AD hired none other than Jimbo Fisher, which backfired massively for the program. The Aggies then had to fire Fisher, and are still paying his $77 million buyout that Woodward negotiated. So, when LSU fired Brian Kelly, whom Woodward hired, even after a $54 million buyout, a prominent analyst didn’t hold back.

“Scott Woodward, we need a mug shot put on national television right now of that man’s face. A $76 million buyout associated with a $54 million buyout? Ladies and gentlemen, that equates to $130 million. Two coaches hired by the same man are being paid not to coach anymore.  I need to see a picture of that man because if that was a player, we be calling them out. The same applies to the athletic director,” said sportscaster Stephen A. Smith. The verdict?

The scrutiny on Woodward’s role in Kelly’s hiring is mounting, and it’s hard to say it will lead to anything. However, since Rex Ryan won’t be an ‘apt’ replacement for LSU, other head coaches are being seriously considered. Lane Kiffin’s name has come up in many reports. The head coach, however, is performing quite well with Ole Miss, which is 7-1 so far, and that makes the timing tricky for his hiring.