Brian Kelly's staff at LSU is starting to take shape, with the latest announcement regarding offensive line coach Brad Davis to remain in the same position moving forward.
Per LSU:
Brad Davis will remain as LSU’s offensive line coach, head coach Brian Kelly announced on Wednesday.
Davis, a Baton Rouge native who is currently serving as LSU’s interim head coach for the Texas Bowl, is in his first season with the Tigers. He joined the LSU staff in June after one season at Arkansas.
“Brad Davis is an exceptional teacher of the game and leader of young men, and his passion and dedication to this university and this community are second to none,” Kelly said. “Our offensive line has made tremendous strides under his leadership this season, and his expertise and technical knowledge of offensive line play will remain vital to our program. We are thrilled he will continue to recruit and develop elite student-athletes at LSU.”
“As a Baton Rouge native, I’m extremely grateful to represent LSU, and I remain fully committed to helping Coach Kelly and this staff win championships,” Davis said. “I’m going to continue to work as hard as I can to give our student-athletes the best opportunity for success and to make our fans proud.”
In his first year with the Tigers in 2021, Davis developed an offensive line that improved each week of the season. Despite starting 11 different players on the offensive line, the most of any school in the nation, Davis’ group played its best football during the final month of the regular season.
LSU had only one offensive lineman start every game (center Liam Shanahan), and the Tigers used nine different starting lineups. LSU started the same offensive line in back-to-back games just twice in 2021.
LSU’s 2021 offensive line featured All-SEC guard Ed Ingram along with Shanahan and senior tackle Austin Deculus, who has appeared in more games (60) than any player in school history. The line also helped pave the way for 1,000-yard rusher Ty Davis-Price.
A member of Oklahoma’s 2000 national championship team, Davis returned to his hometown over the summer after spending one year helping turnaround an Arkansas program that won eight games this season.
Davis’ last five years have been spent in the Southeastern Conference as he coached the offensive lines at Florida (2017), Missouri (2018-19) and Arkansas (2020).
During his coaching career, Davis has had 15 of his offensive linemen earn all-conference honors.
Prior to joining the Florida staff in 2017, Davis coached the offensive lines at North Texas (2016), East Carolina (2015), James Madison (2014), and Portland State (2009-13). At James Madison, Davis also served as the co-offensive coordinator for a Dukes team that finished 9-4 and earned a spot in the FCS Playoffs.
Following his graduation from Oklahoma in 2003, Davis got his start in coaching at Southern Lab in Baton Rouge, where he coached the offensive line and was co-offensive coordinator. He then spent time at Wayne State as a graduate assistant and Doane College as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator.
Davis served as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M for two years (2006-07) before coaching as an offensive line graduate assistant at North Carolina in 2008.
In addition to his college coaching experience, Davis was part of the NFL’s summer internship program, working with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2012.
The Baton Rouge native prepped at Belaire High School and later went on to an outstanding playing career at Oklahoma. A 2003 graduate of Oklahoma. Davis was part of two Big 12 championship teams and the 2000 national championship team. He was named the team’s Most Valuable Offensive Lineman in 2002.
Davis and his wife, Anecia, have two sons, Bradley and Brayden.
The Davis news was preceded by a flurry of news on Tuesday that included the hiring of former LSU star assistant Frank Wilson as an associate head coach and reports that LSU will be naming Jacob Flint as its co-director of strength and conditioning along with Zaviar Gooden.
LSU also announced the hiring of Brian Polian as Special Teams Coordinator on Wednesday.
