BREAKING: Brian Kelly finally lands his Special Teams Ace after season filled with issues

As LSU entered the offseason, it initially seemed the entire coaching staff would remain intact until Slade Nagle accepted the offensive coordinator position at Houston, reuniting with Willie Fritz. Nagle’s departure left two vacancies, as he had served as Brian Kelly’s tight ends coach and special teams coach. Alongside Nagle’s exit, LSU also saw turnover among its analysts, losing several who contributed to special teams.

Regardless of Nagle’s departure, LSU likely needed to address its special teams unit, which struggled significantly this season. Issues ranged from bad snaps, holds, and punts to blocked and missed kicks, as well as allowing big returns. The lone bright spots were the return game, where Zavion Thomas provided a spark, and Aaron Anderson returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.

To improve special teams, LSU has reportedly hired Grambling State’s Aman Anand, according to Football Scoop. Anand spent one season at Grambling State and previously coached special teams at Texas Southern, where his units ranked in the top 25 in kick and punt returns. He also has experience as an assistant special teams coordinator at Baylor and Penn State, as well as stints at Old Dominion, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Northern Arizona, Utah State, and Memphis in student or graduate assistant roles.

It’s unclear whether Anand will serve as the Tigers’ special teams coordinator or as an analyst, but addressing this area was a priority. Anand inherits a strong group, including elite returners Barion Brown, Aaron Anderson, and Zavion Thomas. LSU also returns punter Peyton Todd and added standout transfer punter Grant Chadwick. Additionally, the Tigers feature one of the best kickoff specialists in Aeron Burrell and placekicker Damian Ramos.