Ed Orgeron Sends Strong Message to Brian Kelly & Garrett Nussmeier (article)

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Back in 2022, when Brian Kelly succeeded Ed Orgeron as LSU’s head coach, the former Tigers HC had given a three-year timeline to Kelly to win a championship, exact same years he took in Baton Rouge to win the natty. “I don’t know that it’s fair, but (national title) is the expectation… You should be able to win a national championship in 3 years,” Orgeron had said. Come 2025, the ex-LSU head coach has come to remind Kelly that his time is up.

Talking to Jax Sports Radio, Orgeron put it best when he said, “It’s the highway or no way” for Brian Kelly this season. Because, unlike last season, LSU’s head coach has all the tools at his disposal heading into the new season. Notably, after a lackluster 2024 season marked by a struggling defense, the Tigers have overhauled nearly their entire pass rush. And offense? Well, when you have someone as elite as Garrett Nussmeier as your starting QB, offense is not much of a concern. So, it’s safe to say if LSU does not deliver this season, Kelly’s $63 million job isn’t exactly safe anymore. And Orgeron is here to remind him exactly that.

“Expectations at LSU are No. 1 or nothing! I mean, that’s it! LSU expects you to win the national championship. They don’t expect you to win it every year, but Coach Saban won it in his third year, Les Miles won it in his third year, and I won it in my third year,” Ed Orgeron, over a telephonic conversation with Jax Sports Radio, set a straight and clear goal for his successor.

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“I think (Kelly) has a really good team, a really good quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier. He’s got a tough opener in Clemson. The expectations bring on a lot of pressure,” Orgeron added to the thrust, “especially when you haven’t won a championship yet. The pressure there is to win a championship.”

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