Is It Time For LSU To Embrace A True Tiger In Coaching Search?

Well...the Brian Kelly era in Baton Rouge is officially done. The plug has been pulled...he's fired. With a lot of Tiger fans are celebrating; but let's be honest...some are probably a little confused.

Guy won games. So what was the real problem? When you listen to a lot of people around the program, it was never about the wins and losses with Kelly. It was about, well...everything else.

Brian Kelly Was A Culture Clash From Day One

Let's be honest. It was always a weird fit. From that first moment at the basketball game with that bizarre...southern...accent(?)...it felt wrong. It felt fake. Then came the cringey dancing videos with recruits.

It felt like a guy from Boston trying to host a crawfish boil. He just didn't get it. In Louisiana, football isn't just a business. It's not a stepping stone. It's part of the DNA. It's community. Kelly's era felt like a hostile corporate takeover. He won, sure...but it never felt like LSU.

Players Are Calling For an 'LSU Guy'

You've heard them. The guys who actually bled for that uniform. Former players...local guys...have been all over social media. They're all saying the same thing...LSU needs someone who understands Louisiana.

READ MORE: This LSU National Champion Coming To Shreveport To Meet Fans

The Tigers need someone who understands the high school coaches and local communities. Someone who knows what it means to play in front of 100,000 people in Death Valley on a Saturday night. They're tired of outsiders who come in and try to remake LSU into something its not. They want an LSU guy...and they might be right.

So...What About Detroit Lions Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard?

When you start making a list...one name should be at the very top. Kelvin Sheppard. Just think about it. This isn't just some random former player.

This is a guy who was a team captain. He was a First-team All-SEC linebacker. He was a monster on that 2007 National Championship team. He's one of the few guys in school history to log over 300 tackles. He knows exactly what the "LSU Standard" is...because he was the LSU Standard. He gets the culture because he built it.

Unlike this list of retread and boring names, Sheppard is LSU first. Lane Kiffin is a mercenary that doesn't care about the name on the front of the jersey, which is why he would be willing to leave one SEC school for another. James Franklin just got booted from a school below the LSU standard. Matt Campbell is coaching in the SEC equivalent of a JV conference. Jimbo Fisher got clowned out of Texas A&M, and seemed like the game has passed him by.

Sheppard Was A Certified Star In The NFL

This isn't just a "hire a fan favorite" move. The guy can flat-out coach. He's the Defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. You know...the team that's become one of the toughest, most exciting stories in the entire NFL.

His defense is known for being aggressive, smart, and playing with insane energy. He's Dan Campbell's right-hand man, and he's already getting buzz for NFL head coaching jobs. He's a young, hungry "player's coach" who knows how to connect with modern athletes. The exact opposite of what just left.

LSU's Choice Seems Obvious

LSU has a choice. They can go hire another expensive outsider who will try to learn Louisiana. Or...they can hire the guy who already has Louisiana in his blood.

LSU needs to fix its identity. It needs a high-energy recruiter. It needs a leader. It needs someone who will make Tiger football feel like Tiger football again. It's time to bring a Tiger home.