Brian Kelly Seeks Court Ruling After LSU Claims He Was Never Officially Fired, Complicating $54M Buyout

Brian Kelly, the former head football coach at Louisiana State University, filed a lawsuit Monday against the university’s Board of Supervisors after learning LSU now claims it never formally terminated him.

The 48-page petition seeks a declaratory judgment confirming his firing was without cause and that he is entitled to the full liquidated damages specified in his contract. This amounts to roughly $54 million, paid in monthly installments through 2031.

Kelly’s legal team says LSU representatives informed them during a phone call Monday that the university believes grounds exist for a termination with cause, which would void the substantial buyout.

The lawsuit states that LSU had never claimed Kelly was terminated for cause prior to November 10, and had never suggested he engaged in conduct warranting such termination, per ESPN. The filing came just hours after that Monday phone conversation.

Kelly was relieved of his duties October 26, one day after LSU’s 49-25 loss to Texas A&M dropped the Tigers to 5-3. Then-athletic director Scott Woodward issued a statement at the time attributing the decision to performance, saying the program’s success under Kelly had not materialized to the level LSU demands.

The lawsuit alleges that LSU told Kelly’s representatives Monday that Woodward lacked the authority to terminate him or make settlement offers, meaning Kelly was never officially fired.

Plot twist in LSU/Brian Kelly story via @DanWetzel: “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… https://t.co/pb2ckyewxz

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 11, 2025

This position surfaced after Kelly rejected two settlement offers of $25 million and $30 million, according to ESPN’s reporting.

LSU’s Strategic Shift Creates Uncertainty Around One of College Football’s Largest Buyouts

It all came together after Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry spoke out in public against the university’s spending relating to coaching contracts and buyouts. Woodward, who hired Kelly to a 10-year, $95 million deal in 2021, was let go one day after Landry made pointed comments about the athletic department’s track record.

The governor, in particular, stated that LSU had a $53 million liability with Kelly’s buyout and promised the school would not repeat such costly mistakes.

The 64-year-old coach went 34-14 at LSU but never reached the College Football Playoff. His teams lost three games in each of three full seasons, failing to live up to their championship ambitions.

His tenure ended after a particularly poor second half against Texas A&M, when LSU was outscored 35-7. Kelly had initially expressed a willingness to negotiate a settlement shortly after his dismissal, but those discussions stalled following Woodward’s departure.

If Kelly prevails and gets the full buyout, it would rank as the second-largest ever paid to a college football coach, behind only the $77 million Texas A&M paid Jimbo Fisher in 2023.