Brian Kelly has started filling out his coaching staff for the LSU Tigers and he seems to be landing some pretty strong assistants.
While he didn’t get Marcus Freeman and Tommy Rees like he wanted, he did snag two coaches from Notre Dame, co-director of strength and conditioning Jacob Flint and special teams coordinator Brian Polian, who will handle the same roles for the Tigers.
Now comes some surprising word that Kelly has brought in a head coach from another program. Kelly has hired former LSU assistant and McNeese State head coach Frank Wilson, who resigned this morning to rejoin the Tigers.
McNeese coach Frank Wilson has resigned, sources tell @SINow. It was a move that has stunned many in Lake Charles.
A longtime #LSU assistant, Wilson should be a hot commodity for Power 5 assistant gigs if he should want one.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 7, 2021
Wilson, who served as LSU’s running backs coach and recruiting coordinator between 2010 and 2015, is considered one of the best recruiters in the nation and the top recruiter in Louisiana. That’s a huge bonus for someone like Kelly, who has traditionally recruited in the Northeast and Midwest.
According to the school, Wilson will serve as associate head coach, though it’s assumed he’ll have other duties related to recruiting as well.
LSU announces Frank Wilson has returned to the program as an associate head coach.
— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) December 7, 2021
Wilson led LSU’s recruiting efforts during a time when they routinely finished in the Top 10, including the 2014 class that included Leonard Fournette and Malachi Dupre.
Wilson left LSU in 2016 to become head coach for the UTSA Roadrunners but was fired after going 19-29 in four seasons. He was hired by McNeese State in 2020 and went 4-7 this past season. It’s a shocking move that he left after two years, but one would have to imagine that he got quite the offer from Kelly and LSU to come back.
The immediate reaction from around the college football world is that this is a huge get for Kelly and a big move to secure LSU’s place in SEC recruiting.
McNeese head coach Frank Wilson has resigned from McNeese and is expected to join the #LSU staff, a source confirms to @TheAthletic.
Wilson was a longtime LSU recruiting coordinator under Les Miles and former national recruiter of the year.
Very big get for Brian Kelly.
— Brody Miller (@BrodyAMiller) December 7, 2021
Well we’re gonna own LA recruiting with Frank Wilson.
— Zach Von Rosenberg (@ZVR09) December 7, 2021
Aren't many who recruit the state of Louisiana better than Frank Wilson. An absolute grand slam hire for Brian Kelly https://t.co/OkantGeiDh
— Glen West (@glenwest21) December 7, 2021
The list of people Frank Wilson helped bring to LSU is kind of insane…
Here's just 5 pretty good ones… pic.twitter.com/gQRzAgQspz
— R.I.P Bean (@KariBo__) December 7, 2021
at least seven figures, right? https://t.co/ou1CRDUSx3
— bomani (@bomani_jones) December 7, 2021
If LSU is truly committed to getting back to competing for SEC titles and national championships, winning the local recruiting battles is the first step. And it looks like they’re going all-in to make that happen.
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