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Brian Kelly made his first public comments since being fired as LSU’s head football coach.
It was less than two weeks ago when LSU made the move, parting ways with Kelly even though there were six seasons left on the 10-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Tigers.
But there is no resentment. He said he will support interim head coach Frank Wilson on Saturday when the Tigers face No. 4 Alabama.
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LSU head coach Brian Kelly during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, on August 30, 2025. (Ken Ruinard/USA Today Network South Carolina/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“This journey began with high expectations with my own vision of how to get there,” Kelly said in a statement she posted on X. “Sometimes the journey doesn’t end the way we hope.
“But when I think about our time together, I will remember and appreciate what we accomplished. All the exceptional student-athletes I had the privilege of coaching. A Heisman Trophy winner and more than a dozen Tigers playing on Sundays, 39 players earning SEC Academic Honor Roll honors in 2024 alone. My daughter and son earned advanced degrees from LSU and a third who began his career working at the university.”
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Kelly’s departure came after No. 3 Texas A&M defeated LSU 49-25. The Tigers are now 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC. Kelly left the program with a 34-14 record.
“The losses will always hurt, but I will remember all the victories,” he wrote. “I don’t need to tell any of you how special Saturday nights at Tiger Stadium are. I’m honored to have worn the purple and gold and been a part of it.”
LSU head coach Brian Kelly watches from the sideline in the second half against Alabama in Baton Rouge on Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
The Tigers have four games left on their regular-season schedule, but it doesn’t look like they’ll make the College Football Playoff this year after failing to make it under Kelly.
“As everyone heads out to watch the Tigers play, I wish Coach Wilson, the coaches and our players the best this weekend. I know they will do the best they can for themselves and for LSU. We will be watching and cheering them on,” Kelly added.
“This journey may be over, but it is a journey that will stay with me and my family forever.”
Kelly has a roughly $50 million buyout from LSU, barring a deal. That number would be the second-highest in college football history, behind only Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly stands on the sideline during the first half against Vanderbilt on Oct. 18, 2025 in Nashville. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
As for who will replace Kelly next season and beyond, the decision won’t be Scott Woodward’s. He resigned as athletic director following public comments made by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a major LSU shareholder.
Interim athletic director Verge Ausberry has shot down rumors that Nick Saban will rejoin the program, but Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is rumored to be a candidate.
