Who is Frank Wilson? What to know about LSU's Brian Kelly replacement

Brian Kelly is out, and Frank Wilson is in at LSU after the school pulled the plug on its head coach and kicked off college football’s most high-profile coaching search in what is already shaping up to be the most wild firing and hiring cycle in NCAA history.

Now, all eyes are on interim head coach Frank Wilson to pick up the pieces of an unranked 5-3 preseason SEC title hopeful turned coach-less flop, and try to salvage whatever is left for a blue-blood program on the downswing.

Who is Frank Wilson?

First of all, he’s someone with serious ties to LSU and who has head coaching experience.

Wilson first became a head coach at UTSA, where he served from 2016 to 2019, leading the program to its first-ever win against a Power Five opponent by beating Baylor in 2017, and also took the school to its first bowl game.

From there, the New Orleans native took the head coaching position at McNeese State for two seasons starting in 2020, resigning from the program late in 2021 to join Kelly’s staff at LSU, and finishing with a career record of 26-40 as a head coach.

But this isn’t Wilson’s first go-round at LSU. Far from it.

A famed recruiter in Louisiana

Prior to taking the UTSA position, Wilson was running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at LSU under head coach Les Miles, and proved an integral member of the school’s talent acquisition team, winning the National Recruiter of the Year Award from Rivals in 2011.

He was named the best recruiter in college football by NFL Media in 2014, and the following year earned SEC Recruiter of the Year honors by Scout after LSU signed a top-five recruiting class, according to 247Sports’ rankings.

During his first stint at LSU, the school put 29 players in the NFL Draft, one shy of the record set by Alabama’s 30 during that same span.

Wilson was part of the staff that brought on future stars like wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., wideout Jarvis Landry, defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, and offensive lineman La’el Collins to the school.

He was on staff in 2011 when LSU won the SEC championship and played for, and lost, the BCS national title game against Alabama.

Wilson also worked at Ole Miss as running backs and special teams coach, and was wide receiver coach at Tennessee in addition to two stops at Louisiana high schools Edna Karr (1997-99) and O.P. Walker (2000-03).

Wilson’s return to LSU

A week after Kelly was hired at LSU, the school announced Wilson was brought on as the associate head coach and running backs coach.

His first year back went very well, as LSU set a program record with 39 rushing touchdowns, and the following season the backfield paced what was the top-scoring attack in FBS, setting a school record with 6.2 yards per carry from its various backs.

LSU’s ground offense regressed in 2024, as Caden Durham and Josh Williams combined for 1,264 yards and 12 touchdowns, and the rushing attack has devolved into a weakness in 2025, ranking 124th in FBS with 106 yards per game and 8 touchdowns.

What is LSU paying Frank Wilson?

Right now, Wilson is working on a deal that pays him roughly $1.05 million this year after receiving a raise as part of a contract extension he received in the summer of 2024.

Entering the last year of his deal last offseason, Wilson received an extension from the school, getting a raise from the $950,000 he was paid in 2023 to $1 million for the 2024 season.

He then got another raise to $1.05 million for the 2025 campaign as part of that pact, with the figure set to rise to $1.2 million in 2026, the final year of the deal.

Coaching carousel is spinning off its axis

Brian Kelly is far from alone among head coaches getting the can this season, and the calendar hasn’t even turned to the month of November yet.

Kelly is the 12th head coach in the NCAA fired this year and the 10th in-season, with those 10 being fired before November being the most in the FBS era.

Moreover, he’s the eighth Power Four conference head coach fired this season. Just four such program managers lost their jobs a year ago.

Already doubling that number, those eight are the most since 2022.

Now, in Brian Kelly’s place steps Frank Wilson to lead LSU over the final four games of the 2025 season. First up: a trip to Alabama.