@JoshPateCFB on X
Josh Pate of On3 Sports has become one of college football’s most popular insiders and talking heads. And, to Pate’s credit, he’s earned that distinction.
The Georgia native worked his way up from part-time local radio host to launching his own YouTube show to partnering with 247Sports, and now with On3.
But at the moment, Pate is drawing ire from college football fans after an apparently sizable flip-flop on Brian Kelly following his dismissal at LSU.
Josh Pate Absolutely Ripped Brian Kelly For ‘Checking Out’ On LSU
Shortly after Kelly’s firing, Pate took to his show to say that Kelly checked out on the Tigers long before the school made the move to fire him.
Josh Pate Torches Brian Kelly pic.twitter.com/B0DdULX3gy
— Official Ohio State DG (@DylanEveryday) October 27, 2025
“Brian Kelly never understood the assignment at LSU. He never understood what the L stood for. The L on that chest stands for Louisiana and Brian Kelly never had interest in Louisiana,” Pate ranted. “He had interest in BK, to the point where he got there and he flushed a lot of Louisiana people out of the building, including many that could have been very useful to him.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with him being an outsider. Nick Saban was an outsider. But what attracted him to that job was Louisiana. Brian Kelly was attracted to it because he thought he could make a lot of money, spend more money, get some athletes, and win a title. He never factored into his decision making ‘maybe I should harness what makes Louisiana great.’ This can be the best job in the country.”
Pate Was The Biggest Backer Of LSU Hiring Kelly
While he was happy to tapdance on Kelly’s grave after his firing – and he may have even been correct in his assessment – it’s a far cry from what Pate thought about Kelly before he was hired.
What a difference 4 years makes. https://t.co/wijvKoWoSV pic.twitter.com/wC8USvkmkF
— Matt Freeman (@mattfreeman05_) October 28, 2025
X user Matt Freeman uncovered a post on an LSU message board from before LSU hired Kelly. And at the time, Pate was the biggest proponent of the move imaginable.
“We discussed this name on this very board several weeks ago, and I told you that he’d be my ideal candidate,” Pate said. “But I never believed it was possible. Apparently it was possible.
“If (LSU AD Scott) Woodward closes this, it’s beyond a grand slam. I have listened to the doubters and have yet to hear a logical reason why LSU folks shouldn’t be over-the-moon excited about this. Brian Kelly has essentially been trying to compete in the Daytona 500 with a Priu,s given the limitations at ND relative to CFB’s tier one.
“To even have them consistently in the CFB Playoff convo has been incredible. If you want to know how incredible it was…keep an eye on the program once he leaves.”
Notre Dame, of course, played in the national championship game last season.
Listen, anybody who has ever been brave enough to have a sports take has been wrong before. And they will be wrong again. But it would’ve been nice to see Pate acknowledge it before he had to be called out by a fan.