Brian Kelly is just in his second season with LSU, but there is certainly pressure for him to produce a winning program now.

That’s a difficult task when you’re also trying to establish a long-term vision for the program and basically start over fresh, but he’s done a good job so far. Kelly reached the SEC Championship in his first season, and he could very well do it again this year.

On Monday, Kelly broke down the balance between his long-term goals and the pressure to win now.

“It’s never been a problem for me, because I have a vision for our program, and the vision includes more than just winning,” Kelly said. “It incudes developing excellence both on and off the field and so we’re certainly not there yet. We have to continue to grow relative to the identity of our football team. I know I’m hired and fired on wins and losses, but I’ve never really worried about that. This is the 5th program I’ve taken over and I’ve always built the program based on excellence in the classroom and on the football field. That process has usually taken care of itself and it’s equaled success.”

Kelly and LSU have the chance to get a signature win that would put them in good position to claim the SEC West title this Saturday against Alabama. The Tigers got the best of Alabama last year, leading to a spot in the SEC Championship, and they’re looking to do that again this year.