As the LSU Football program continues its search for a new head coach, the school is not done paying attention to Brian Kelly. Kelly was fired back on October 26 following an embarrassing 49-25 loss to Texas A&M, and left Baton Rouge with a 34-14 overall record and 19-10 mark in SEC play. Kelly's Tigers disappointed yet again this season, as he never led the program to a College Football Playoff appearance in his 3.5 seasons at the helm.
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Kelly's buyout has been subject to plenty of attention over the last few weeks. His full buyout is listed at just over $53 million, and it was initially reported that Kelly would be open to a settlement for a lower amount. However, last week it was reported by ESPN that Kelly has filed a lawsuit against LSU saying that the school never "formally terminated" him and are now seeking to fire him for cause.
Brian Kelly drama to continues to occupy too much of LSU's time during coaching search
It's a messy situation that keeps getting messier. According to On3's Pete Nakos, the LSU Board of Supervisors is set to meet on Friday in order to discuss Kelly's lawsuit against the school.
The LSU Board of Supervisors will hold a meeting Friday to discuss Brian Kelly’s lawsuit seeking his full buyout. https://t.co/AdYM5vJ9jo pic.twitter.com/QRva5aznbV
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) November 20, 2025
LSU can prove Kelly was fired "for cause," the school would have to pay Kelly's buyout. On the other hand, if Kelly's attorneys are able to get a judge to confirm that Kelly was fired without cause, LSU would be on the hook for the full $53.3 million buyout.
The situation continues to develop and take up far too much of LSU's time. The program is already dealing with plenty of chaos and turnover, as a new university president and athletic director were brought in earlier this month. The legal battle with Kelly only adds to the chaos and makes the program look even more dysfunctional.
All of the moving parts could be off-putting to potential coaching cadidates. Most notably, the Lane Kiffin saga continues to carry on, and Kiffin has yet to make a decision. Could all of these legal issues be factoring into his decision-making? Only time will tell, but LSU fans aren't too thrilled to see Kelly's buyout to be taking up so much of LSU's time during the search for his replacement.