After five years under Ed Orgeron, the LSU Tigers tabbed Brian Kelly as their next head coach in 2022 — the early returns have been promising. However, Kelly hasn’t done it on his own. Who are the members of the 2024 LSU coaching staff?
LSU Tigers Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Brian Kelly
Kelly was hired as LSU’s 34th head football coach in December 2021. He has the most wins of any active coach in FBS college football, having previously coached at Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Central Michigan, and Grand Valley State.
A proven winner, Kelly has succeeded everywhere he’s been. Kelly won the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award three times, while no other coach has won more than once.
Kelly led the 2012 Notre Dame team to 12 wins and the BCS Championship. He then led Notre Dame to the Cotton Bowl in 2018 and the Rose Bowl in 2020. He finished his Notre Dame coaching career with a 73.9% win rate.
While at Cincinnati, he won two Big East titles and made appearances in the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl. At Central Michigan, he led the Chippewas to their first bowl game in 12 seasons and a MAC title. In his first two seasons at LSU, he led the Tigers to back-to-back 10-win campaigns with bowl wins (Citrus Bow, 2022; ReliaQuest Bowl, 2023).
- Assumption (DC/LBs, 1983-1986)
- Grand Valley State (GA/DBs, 1987-1988; HC, 1991-2003)
- Central Michigan (HC, 2004-2006)
- Cincinnati (HC, 2006-2009)
- Notre Dame (HC, 2010-2021)
- LSU (HC, 2022-Present)
Defensive Coordinator/LBs Coach, Blake Baker
Blake Baker replaced Matt House as the Tigers’ DC this offseason with high expectations. He initially signed a contract extension with Missouri after turning the defense around from 113th in total defense in 2021 to 56th and 25th over the last two years.
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However, just two weeks later, LSU lured Baker away with a three-year, $2.5 million contract, making him the highest-paid assistant in college football. He is a familiar facem, too with the progra, as he served as the LBs coach under Orgeron in 2021.
- Texas (GA, 2010-2021)
- Arkansas State (Safeties, 2013)
- Louisiana Tech (Safeties, 2014; DC/LBs, 2015-18)
- Miami [FL] (DC/ILBs, 2019-20)
- LSU (LBs, 2021)
- Missouri (DC/Safeties, 2022-23)
- LSU (DC, 2024-present)
Offensive Coordinator/QBs Coach, Joe Sloan
After a lengthy tenure and multiple roles at Louisiana Tech under head coach Skip Holtz, Joe Sloan joined Kelly at LSU as the team’s QBs coach and oversaw Jayden Daniels’ meteoric rise.
When OC Mike Denbrock left for Notre Dame, Kelly promoted Sloan to the vacated OC role for the 2024 season, maintaining a semblance of continuity.
- USF (QC, 2010-11; GA, 2012)
- Louisiana Tech (WRs/AHC/RC, 2013-18; co-OC/QBs, 2019; OC/QBs, 2020)
- LSU (QBs, 2022-23; OC/QBs, 2024-present)
Co-Offensive Coordinator/WRs Coach, Cortez Hankton
Cortez Hankton coached the wide receivers for four seasons at Georgia, including their 2022 National Championship run. He also played at Texas Southern, setting school records for season and career receiving yards before graduating in 2003.
Hankton added co-offensive coordinator duties to his résumé this season after serving as the passing game coordinator last year.
Associate Head Coach/RBs Coach, Frank Wilson
Frank Wilson returned to the LSU staff last year, having previously spent six seasons (2010-2015) in Baton Rouge. Between his departure and return to LSU, Wilson spent six seasons as a head coach at UTSA and McNeese State.
Wilson is known for his recruiting abilities and running back development. Seven LSU RBs coached by Wilson have been selected in the NFL Draft. He also recruited Leonard Fournette, Tyrann Mathieu, Jarvis Landry, and Odell Beckham Jr.
Defensive Line Coach, Bo Davis
After years of speculation, Bo Davis and LSU have finally reunited. Known as one of the top defensive-line coaches in the country for over a decade, Davis’ career includes stints with the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Alabama, Texas, and LSU.
He was part of Nick Saban’s staff when the Tigers won the national title in 2003. During his most recent tenure at Texas, he developed one of the nation’s premier defensive-tackle units, helping the Longhorns advance to the College Football Playoff.
Special-Teams Coordinator/TEs Coach, Slade Nagle
Denbrock coached TEs last year, but with Sloan taking the OC job, LSU still needed a coach for the position. Kelly turned to Slade Nagle to fill the role. Nagle, who has previous experience at LSU as part of Les Miles’ staff in 2009, is a Louisiana native from Lake Charles and played college football at McNeese State.
Nagle has spent his entire coaching career in Louisiana, except for one season. He brings significant play-calling experience and was a key architect of Tulane’s highly efficient offenses over the last two years.
OL Coach, Brad Davis
Brad Davis joined the LSU coaching staff in 2021 under Ed Orgeron. After the former head coach was fired, he led the team in Texas Bowl in an interim capacity.
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Kelly kept Davis on his staff, which resulted in two freshmen tackles (Will Campbell and Emery Jones) earning Freshman All-American honors in 2022.
EDGE Coach, Kevin Peoples
Kevin Peoples worked with Baker at Missouri last year but followed him to LSU to develop the Tigers’ pass-rushing unit. Another coach with Louisiana ties, Peoples spent four years as an assistant on Tulane’s staff, becoming well-acquainted with New Orleans.
Under his guidance, the pass rushers at Missouri ranked eighth nationally in sack rate last season. With nearly 30 years of coaching experience, Peoples brings a wealth of knowledge to the program.
Secondary Coach, Corey Raymond
Corey Raymond is yet another familiar face making his return to LSU. This marks his third stint with the Tigers. He first served on the strength and conditioning staff from 2007-08 before returning as the DBs coach in 2012.
Raymond, a Louisiana native, began his coaching career as an assistant at New Iberia Senior High before moving on to Westgate High. During his time at LSU, he developed some of the nation’s top DBs, including standouts like Tre’Davious White and Greedy Williams.
Safeties Coach, Jake Olsen
Jake Olsen spent 2021 at LSU with Baker before joining him at Missouri and now following him back. Olsen will assist Raymond with the secondary, leading the safeties. He’s no stranger to Louisiana, having worked at Nicholls in 2014 before moving on to ULM, Northwestern State, and LSU.
Most recently, Olsen coached Missouri’s LBs in 2022 and 2023, developing one of the top units in the SEC.
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