LSU AD takes shot at Brian Kelly, expresses confidence in Lane Kiffin

The LSU Tigers didn't quite live up to expectations during the Brian Kelly era.

Over the last four years, Kelly's team went 34-14, subverting expectations at just about every turn while the long-celebrated coach burnt bridges and was eventually run out of town, fired midway through the 2025 season. This offseason, the Tigers have remained the center of attention, hiring former Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin, and then going on to dominate the transfer portal and put together a roster that seemingly has a chance to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff this fall.

So, with the regime change in Baton Rouge, is it time to look back and try to identify what went wrong? According to LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, the answer is yes.

In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, Ausberry detailed that the main problem lay with the connection of the program under Kelly, or lack thereof. In an attempt to change things for the better, the Tigers are aiming to go back to the old ways, when legendary coach Nick Saban was at the helm in Baton Rouge.

“It’s going back to the Saban model,” Ausberry told USA TODAY Sports of the program’s redirect. “(That means) running the whole program. Then, you have to go do some things with alumni and do things with boosters and do things with fundraising, with NIL. You have to be a part of that."

This is something that Ausberry believes Kiffin will be able to do well. He is personable, outgoing, and willing to be in the mix when it comes to social events and social media.

“That’s what Lane will do,” Ausberry continued. “He’ll go out there and have that conversation with the donors and the people who support the program and (say), ‘We need your help,’ and give them his cell number. He’s not one who’ll say, ‘OK, I don’t want people to contact me. I don’t want people to touch me. I don’t want people to be around me.’ That’s who we had. That’s why we got what we got. There was no feel, there was no connection between the LSU football program, the coach, and the fans.”

While Ausberry did not mention Kelly by name, it's clear that there were a lot of frustrations with how he ran the program, especially in this new era of college football where schmoozing with donors and alumni is a major piece of the game. If Kiffin can even do a little bit of that, it will be a step in the right direction for the Tigers.

While the donors are important, Ausberry is also looking for more connections in the building at LSU, between coaches, players, and staff. That's something that Kelly was never able to create.

“There was no connection and no building” when Kelly was coach, Ausberry said. “Not many employees connected. The former players didn’t connect. Yeah, I’m saying it."

While winning on the field is important above all else, building the culture behind the scenes is what's going to help the Tigers get there. Kiffin enters the year with a lot of weight on his shoulders, but he has lived up to these expectations in the past. We'll see if he can do it again.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: LSU going back to 'Saban model' post connection issue with Brian Kelly