The 2025 LSU football season quickly turned into a disaster, despite all the promise they had at the start of the season. Brian Kelly was fired due to the team's poor performance following a loss to Texas A&M. However, Kelly has a massive buyout of $54 million, and this amount has encountered a snag due to its substantial size. This could become even uglier because lawyers on both sides have now become involved.
According to On3's college football insider, Pete Nakos, Brian Kelly filed a complaint against LSU's board of supervisors, saying that the Tigers did not “formally terminate” him as head coach. It was filed on Monday and outlines that LSU is working to fire Kelly “for cause” and avoid paying the entirety of the buyout altogether.
It is worth noting that in the lawsuit, LSU held a call with Kelly on Monday, stating that it believes it has grounds for firing “for cause.” “ESPN” was the first to report that Kelly had filed a lawsuit against his former employer.
“LSU’s representatives had a call with Coach Kelly’s representatives, where LSU took the position that Coach Kelly had not been formally terminated and informed Coach Kelly’s representatives, for the very first time, that LSU believed grounds for termination for cause existed,” the complaint reads.
LSU fired Brian Kelly after the Tigers were humiliated at home in a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M. The Tigers had initially cited that on-field performance was the reason for the firing. Scott Woodward made that statement as the athletic director, but he was also let go by the LSU athletic department after Kelly's firing.
Kelly’s attorneys are seeking a declaratory judgment to confirm that Kelly was fired without cause and is entitled to “full liquidated damages provided for in (his contract).” If LSU can prove his dismissal “for cause,” the institution would not owe the buyout. LSU is also attempting to fire Kelly “for cause,” which would eliminate the buyout.
According to the filing, LSU has attempted to settle with Kelly multiple times since his termination. That includes offers of $25 million and $30 million. The $30 million payment would have been made in two installments, eliminating the duty to mitigate clause.
The added aspect to all this is that LSU is dealing with political ramifications, with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry becoming much more involved in a coaching hire than anyone would have expected.
