The LSU Football program has moved on from Brian Kelly. Just 3.5 years into his 10-year contract, LSU made the move to fire Kelly on Sunday evening after a humiliating loss to Texas A&M by a score of 49-25 on Saturday night in Death Valley. Details of Kelly's buyout appear to still be in the works, but the program has officially pulled the plug on the Brian Kelly era in Baton Rouge.
LSU fires Brian Kelly in bombshell move that had to happen
Taking over for Kelly is associate head coach and running backs coach Frank Wilson. Wilson will coach the team for the rest of the 2025 season on an interim basis. Here is everything you need to know about Wilson as he leads the Tigers through a bye week before facing Alabama on Nov. 8.
Frank Wilson takes over as LSU's interim head coach
A New Orleans native, Wilson has been engrained in Louisiana football his whole life. Wilson is in his second stint at LSU, as he first came to Baton Rouge as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 2010-15. He then returned to serve as Brian Kelly's associate head coach and running backs coach in 2021. He now takes over the program following Kelly's departure.
A skilled recruiter, Wilson has earned several noteworthy awards and recognition throughout his coaching career. Most notably, he was recognized as the nation's Recruiter of the Year by Rivals.com in 2011, the Top Recruiter in College Football by NFL.com in 2014, and the SEC Recruiter of the Year by Scout.com in 2015. He was also acknowledged as the top assistant coach in the country in 2011.
During his two stints in Baton Rouge, Wilson has coached over 40 Tigers that have gone on to play in the NFL. He's recruited some of LSU's most decorated players in program history, including running back Leonard Fournette, defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, offensive lineman La'el Collins, and wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr.
Wilson has been a head coach on two occasions. He led the UTSA program from 2016-19 where he compiled a 19-29 record with one bowl appearance. He then was the head coach at McNeese State from 2020-21, going 7-11 before joining Kelly's staff in 2021.
Prior to coming to LSU in 2010, Wilson coached in the Louisiana high school ranks before making the jump to college football. He was an assitant coach at Edna Karr High School from 1997-2000, and the head coach at O. Perry Walker High School from 2001-03. From 2005-09 he held assistant positions at Ole Miss, Southern Miss, and Tennessee.
Wilson will coach LSU's last four games of the 2025 season, as well as a potential bowl game. His first test will be a road trip to No. 4 Alabama on Nov. 8. LSU will then host Arkansas on Nov. 15 and Western Kentucky on Nov. 22 before closing the regular season with a road tilt at No. 16 Oklahoma on Nov. 29.