The Brian Kelly and LSU saga continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. It's been over two weeks since Kelly was shown the door following LSU's 49-25 loss to Texas A&M, and things have not settled down for a single second. All eyes are watching LSU as it embarks on its search for a new coach, but with lots of moving parts and power dynamics at play, the breakup between Kelly and LSU continues to be a soap opera.
LSU suffers first recruiting blow since Brian Kelly's firing
Between Louisiana governor Jeff Landry's comments, Scott Woodward and LSU parting ways, Wade Rousse being named the next university president, Verge Ausberry being promoted to full-time athletic director, and Brian Kelly's lawsuit against LSU, the LSU Football program has a lot going on right now. All of that chaos is overwhelming enough as it is, but it can also have a negative impact on LSU's search for a new head football coach.
LSU's messy situation can be off-putting for head coaching candidates
In the search for a new head coach, not only are potential candidates trying to show that they are fit for the job, but the school offering the job is showcasing all that it has to offer as well. LSU is arguably the best job in college football. Between the history, resources, fan base, and recruiting advantages, LSU is widely regarded as a fantastic place to coach college football. Lane Kiffin is a name that keeps appearing on LSU hot boards to be the next Tiger head coach. But with all that is going on, wold Kiffin still want to jump on board?
The current mess in Baton Rouge can be off-putting to potential head coaching candidates such as Kiffin. One component that coaches look for when perusing the job market is stability. Top coaches don't want to go to a place that has unorganized leadership and questionable power dynamics in play. Unfortunately, that's the exact situation that LSU is showcasing right now.
Furthermore, the mess related to Brian Kelly's buyout situation takes the chaos to a whole new level. ESPN is reporting 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. LSU is looking to avoid paying Kelly his full buyout of $53.3 million, while Kelly wants all of it. Buyouts play a huge part in contract negotiations when a coach is hired, and potential replacements for Kelly are undoubtedly monitoring this situation.
Each day of this saga reveals a new element to an already chaotic situation. All in all, the breakup between Brian Kelly and LSU has been one of the more absurd series of events in recent memory in college football.