From virtually the moment it was christened, the union ofBrian KellyandLSU footballseemed like an odd marriage, with a native New Englander who had spent the vast majority of his career in the Midwest heading to the Deep South.
If Kelly would have won enough games, that strange pairing could have been forgiven or overlooked, even after he adopted a contrived Southern accent within 48 hours of arriving on campus back in 2021.
Unfortunately for Kelly, he wasn't able to pull it off.
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After getting off to a hot start, Kelly'sTigersteams never lost fewer than three games in a season at a school with national championship expectations. A 5-3 start in his fourth season spelled his doom, withLSU firing him and eating a $54 million buyoutin the process.
The Tigers spent the rest of the 2025 regular season under the guidance of interim head coachFrank WilsonbeforeLane Kiffinwas famously lured over from SEC rival Ole Miss to be LSU's new full-time head coach.
As the Tigers prepare for their Texas Bowl matchup againstHoustonon Saturday, Dec. 27 at NRG Stadium in Houston, who's leading the team? Here's what you need to know:
Stanford coach Troy Taylor was fired prior to the 2025 season following allegations of mistreating staff. He was 6-18 in two seasons with the Cardinal and was replaced by interim coach Frank Reich." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Who's coaching LSU in the Texas Bowl?
LSU will be led by Wilson in the Texas Bowl against Houston on Saturday, Dec. 27.
Wilson coached the Tigers in their final four regular-season games after Kelly was fired on Oct. 26, one day after a 49-25 home loss to Texas A&M. LSU went 2-2 under Wilson's watch, beating Arkansas and Western Kentucky, but losing to Alabama and Oklahoma. LSU's two losses were relatively narrow, though, coming by a combined 15 points against two teams that ultimately made the College Football Playoff.
Wilson's a familiar name and face for many LSU fans. Before being appointed interim head coach, he was in his fourth season as the Tigers' running backs coach and associate head coach. It's his second stint at the school, as he had previously served as LSU's running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 2010-15.
Even before assuming his current title, Wilson had head-coaching experience, having served in the role at UTSA from 2016-19 and McNeese from 2020-21. He went 19-29 in four seasons at UTSA and 7-11 in two seasons at McNeese.
The bowl game will be Wilson's last at LSU, as he'll be leaving to join the staff under Pete Golding at Ole Miss.
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Will Lane Kiffin coach LSU in the bowl game?
Newly minted LSU coach Lane Kiffin will not coach the Tigers against Houston in the Texas Bowl, with Wilson serving in the role before Kiffin takes over as the full-time head coach.
Kiffin was the central figure in the 2025 college football coaching carousel, ultimately choosing LSU over Ole Miss and Florida by signing a seven-year contract that will pay him more than $13 million annually.
It wasn't hard to see why Kiffin was so coveted. He went 55-19 in six years at Ole Miss, which included four seasons with at least 10 wins. The Rebels only had three such seasons in the 48 years before Kiffin was hired. This year, he helped lead Ole Miss to a program-record 11 regular-season wins and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Who is coaching LSU football in the Texas Bowl vs Houston?
