Cole Cubelic sets high bar, expectations for LSU's next coach: 'You better get the title by year four'

By the time Clemson comes to Tiger Stadium on Sept. 5, 2026, a new head coach will be on the LSU sideline. Brian Kelly got fired on Sunday, opening up one of the best jobs in college football. Plenty of big-time names will be involved in the search, with the first Hot Board being produced by On3’s Pete Nakos.

No matter who ultimately lands at LSU, expectations will remain high. If you were to ask Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network, a national championship needs to come in short order. Especially in the modern era, where rosters can be turned around due to the NCAA transfer portal.

“I’m going to say fourth year,” Cubelic said. “You better get it by Year 4. Because everyone thinks, with the portal, you can turn it around in Year 1 now.”

Now, the fourth year is not just a random benchmark from Cubelic. It’s an important standard around LSU because of previous successes for coaches. All of Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Ed Orgeron conquered the sport by then, lifting the BCS crystal ball or College Football Playoff trophy.

The same cannot be said about Kelly. Expectations were raised for the 2025 season for multiple reasons, one of which was the usual fourth year in Baton Rouge. But Kelly brought in an improved roster, a group many felt was good enough to compete to win the whole thing.

Instead, LSU suffered its third loss in four games on Saturday. A new low was reached by losing to Texas A&M at home during a night game and watching the previous electric atmosphere dwindle down to only Aggies fans. Less than 24 hours later, reports of Kelly’s firing emerged and a new era for LSU began.

It’s tough to really know what the future holds for LSU when it comes to the roster. A new coach needs to be brought in and maybe work his way through the players currently on campus. From there, assessments can be made as to what areas the Tigers need to attack in high school recruiting and the portal. Tough decisions might be on the way.

However, by the fourth year, Cubelic knows everyone in Louisiana will be clamoring for another national championship. Only Alabama and Clemson have more since the turn of the century. So when the Tigers do land on a new hire, go ahead and circle the 2029 season.