Maybe you were starting to wonder if Brian Kelly was really LSU’s new football coach or it was all just more gist from the unconfirmed rumor mill, more click bait.

I mean, had anyone seen him since the introductory news conference?

But there he was, the last two days, in the flesh, finally emerging to paint a lot of broad strokes on the future of LSU football.

It was nice to confirm that he is, in fact, at LSU, although he was late for this rare public appearance because he didn’t have a proper parking pass for the meeting room on the side of Tiger Stadium.

Fans can sympathize, no doubt.

Otherwise, I’m not sure we learned a whole lot.

No problem.

Not sure Kelly and the assistant coaches he introduced over the last two days have a grasp yet on what it will all look like come September — and, beyond the coaching clichés, maybe only an inkling of what they want and envision it to eventually look like.

But one thing was clear: there is going to be a different look, more so a different vibe, different feel.

It’s hard to remember a time when LSU football was in such a clear and total reboot, starting over; if not from scratch, then certainly from the ground floor.

Presumably it will still be purple and gold.

But you get the feeling that right now the whole program is basically one of those 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles with the pieces scattered from one end of the living room to the other, with a few strays probably under the couch.

It’s Kelly’s job to put it all together.

And it’s doable.

Kelly described the details — your offense, defense, special teams, culture — as a “work in progress.”

But it will be different. Book it.

Right now the new coaches, while still introducing themselves to each other, are also trying to learn the players’ names.

Kelly kept one holdover from Ed Orgeron’s staff — and offensive line coach Brad Davis barely qualifies. Although a Baton Rouge native who got the thankless task as interim head coach (with one arm tied behind his back) for the bowl, his only tenure at LSU was the one year last season.

And not even a whole year. He was a late hire early last summer. Next month will be his first spring practice at LSU.

Former McNeese State head coach Frank Wilson, the only other staff member who’s coached at LSU before, said Kelly has assembled an “all-star staff” of “consummate professionals.

Like any all-star team, first they have to mesh.

Only one of Kelly’s assistants followed him from Notre Dame — special teams and recruiting coordinator Brian Polian.

Only two others, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrook and safeties coach Kerry Cooks, have coached with Kelly.

“But there’s always some kind of connection,” Kelly said. “Somebody knows somebody that knows somebody when you’ve been in this business as long as I have.”

So far we know that all of them are just tickled to death to be at a place with the tradition, passion, talent, potential and crawfish of an LSU.

Defensive coordinator Tom House was lured in from the Kansas City Chiefs, at the urging of former Tigers Tyrann Mathieu and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

“This (LSU has) the most passionate former players I’ve ever seen,” House said of the ex-Tigers’ endorsement. “Those guys love this university.”

But details of their visions were hard to come by.

“To say we’re going to run ‘my offense’ would be pretty arrogant especially considering the talent that’s here,” Kelly said. “We’re going to run an offense that’s LSU’s offense.”

The 2019 version would probably be a crowd pleaser, but he promises at any rate to keep defenses guessing with a wide variety of options for a diverse attack.

Not to be outdone, House, on the defensive side, says he won’t be married to either a three- or four-man front, the nuptials for which in recent years always seemed to be the first order of spring business.

First impressions?

“We’re not ready to play yet,” Kelly said. “But we will be ready.”

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Scooter Hobbs covers LSU athletics. Email him at scooter.hobbs@americanpress.com