Saturday’s game against Texas A&M was the last stand for the LSU football team. A must-win for the Tigers and their College Football Playoff chances. It turned out LSU’s second-half performance was the final straw as coach Brian Kelly may have coached his last game at LSU.
Kelly has been fired in his fourth season after a brutal 49-25 loss to Texas A&M.
Kelly’s buyout is 54 million dollars, but negotiations will continue on what the exact dollar figure will be.
The news of Kelly’s firing came down on Sunday night after a tense day involving Kelly, his assistant coaches, donors, and athletics director Scott Woodward.
Even Governor Jeff Landry was reportedly involved in the talks, as LSU is without a permanent president.
Landry expressed his disappointment with Saturday night’s performance by posting on “X” that the LSU Board of Supervisors should reconsider raising prices on football tickets and parking passes. The board approved both of those items on Friday.
The 54-million dollars is a steep price tag, but LSU did not have a choice, as most donors are not interested in investing any more money into a football team coached by Kelly.
The Tigers are 5-3, 2-3 in the SEC. All three losses were against Top 10 teams, but the way they were dominated in the second half by the Aggies was humiliating.
LSU is out of contention for the college football playoffs before November, despite Kelly boldly proclaiming last November that the Tigers would be playing for a national championship this season.
Kelly also said that this team was ready to compete for a championship in his fourth season at the helm.
Kelly just turned 64 years old. He was 34-14 in four-plus seasons at LSU. Kelly won the SEC West in 2022. Had a Heisman Trophy quarterback in 2023 to go along with the worst defense in LSU history.
The 2024 Tigers failed to win ten games, and this season, the Tigers have lost three of their last four.
Statement from LSU athletics director Scott Woodward.
“When Coach Kelly arrived at LSU four years ago, we had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge,” Woodward said. “Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize, and I made the decision to make a change after last night’s game. I am grateful for the ongoing consultations and support of the LSU Board of Supervisors and Interim President Matt Lee in this decision. We wish Coach Kelly and his family the very best in their future endeavors. We will continue to negotiate his separation and will work toward a path that is better for both parties.”
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