LSU has won 821 games since 1893, with a .645 winning percentage that is well below the programs it has competed with for national championships this century. The explanation is a long, uneven middle of the 20th century and a home field that has done a disproportionate share of the winning. The Tigers win better than 73 percent of the time in Tiger Stadium and considerably less than that everywhere else.
| Record through 2025 | 821, 441, 47 |
| Winning percentage | .645 |
| First season | 1893, a single game, a 34 to 0 loss to Tulane |
| Home record in Tiger Stadium | 444, 156, 18 through 2023, a .733 percentage |
| National championships | Four claimed |
| SEC championships | 12 |
| Postseason record | 30 wins, 24 losses, 1 tie in bowls, plus 2 and 0 in the playoff |
The Home Field Gap
LSU’s home winning percentage of .733 in Tiger Stadium is comparable to Ohio State’s overall record. Its overall percentage of .645 is nearly ninety points lower, which means the road record is somewhere in the mid .500s across the program’s history. No other major program has a gap that size between home and everywhere else, and it is the statistical version of what Death Valley’s reputation describes. Our Tiger Stadium page covers the building.
The Coaches Who Built It
| Coach | Seasons | Wins | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles McClendon | 1962 to 1979 | 137 | .692 |
| Les Miles | 2005 to 2016 | 114 | .770 |
| Bernie Moore | 1935 to 1947 | 83 | .672 |
| Ed Orgeron | 2016 to 2021 | 51 | .718 |
| Nick Saban | 2000 to 2004 | 48 | .750 |
| Brian Kelly | 2022 to 2025 | 34 | .708 |
Since Nick Saban’s arrival in 2000, LSU is 249 and 87, a .741 percentage that is in line with the sport’s elite. The century before that is what drags the overall number down. Our head coaches page has every coach with records.
The Lean Decades
Between 1948 and 1957 LSU had four losing seasons and no bowl appearances, and between 1989 and 1999 it had seven losing seasons in eleven years, including Curley Hallman’s 16 and 28. The 1990s were the worst decade in the program’s history, and the turnaround under Saban is what made the last quarter century look as it does.
The 2025 Season
LSU opened 2025 by winning at Clemson, its first season opening win under Brian Kelly, and was 5 and 3 when Texas A&M scored 35 unanswered second half points in Tiger Stadium, the Aggies’ first win in Baton Rouge since 1994. Kelly was fired the next morning. Frank Wilson went 2 and 3 as interim, including a 20 to 9 loss at Alabama and a 38 to 35 Texas Bowl loss to Houston, and the season ended 7 and 6. Lane Kiffin was hired December 1. Our bowl history page covers every postseason game.
The Bottom Line
LSU is 821 wins, 441 losses and 47 ties all time, a .645 winning percentage that reflects a long uneven history before 2000 and a .741 mark since. The program has won 73 percent of its games in Tiger Stadium and far fewer anywhere else. Charles McClendon won the most games, Les Miles won at the highest rate, and Lane Kiffin begins in September 2026 after a 7 and 6 season that ended the Brian Kelly era.