NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Brian Kelly has filed a lawsuit against LSU, alleging that the school is trying to prevent his $54 million buyout for the coach after allegedly telling Kelly’s representatives that he has not officially fired him.
Kelly coached his final game with the Tigers on Oct. 25, a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M, and running backs coach Frank Wilson is currently listed as interim head coach on LSU’s website.
However, the lawsuit claims that the school notified Kelly’s attorneys on Monday that the university aims to fire him “for cause” to avoid paying him a severance payment.
(Stephen Lew/Image Images)
“LSU 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 first time, that LSU believed there were grounds for dismissal for cause,” the lawsuit says, according to ESPN.
“LSU has never asserted that Coach Kelly was fired for cause and, prior to November 10, 2025, never asserted that he engaged in any conduct that warranted such termination,” the lawsuit continues. “To the contrary, LSU repeatedly confirmed, both publicly and to Coach Kelly, that the dismissal was due to team performance, not just cause.”
In formally announcing Kelly’s departure, then-athletic director Scott Woodward said, “We had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge. In the end, success at the level LSU demands simply did not materialize, and I made the decision to make a change after last night’s game.”
Woodward has since left his position after Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he would not allow Woodward to hire the next coach, saying he would prefer President Donald Trump make the decision.
However, the lawsuit claimed that LSU told Kelly’s representatives that Kelly was never officially fired since Woodward did not even have “the authority to fire Coach Kelly and/or make settlement offers to him.”
Louisiana State University head coach Brian Kelly during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. (Ken Ruinard/USA Today Network South Carolina/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
FORMER LSU COACH ED ORGERON EXPRESSES INTEREST IN RETURN TO TIGERS AFTER BRIAN KELLY’S FIRING: ‘PHONE CALL’
In his feelings toward Woodward, Landry also blamed the former athletic director for the $77 million given to Jimbo Fisher, whom Woodward hired and whose contract negotiations he oversaw, when Texas A&M fired Fisher.
Current athletic director Verge Ausberry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kelly’s ouster came shortly after Penn State fired James Franklin, as multiple big-time college opportunities have opened up this season.
In its first game after Kelly, LSU lost to No. 4 Alabama 20-9. They finish the season with Arkansas, Western Kentucky and Oklahoma.
Head coach Brian Kelly of the LSU Tigers reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies during a game at Tiger Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
Kelly owns a career record of 297-109-2 dating back to his days coaching Division II school Grand Valley State from 1991 to 2003. He spent 12 seasons at Notre Dame before going to Baton Rouge and also had stops at Central Michigan and Cincinnati.
