Brian Kelly sues LSU over $54M buyout after school allegedly changes termination story: report

Brian Kelly filed a suit against LSU, claiming the schoolhouse is attempting to debar its $54 cardinal buyout for the manager aft allegedly telling Kelly's representatives it has not officially terminated him.

Kelly coached his last crippled with the Tigers connected Oct. 25 — a 49-25 nonaccomplishment to Texas A&M — and moving backs manager Frank Wilson is presently listed arsenic the interim caput manager connected LSU's website.

However, the suit claimed that Kelly's attorneys were notified Monday by the schoolhouse that the assemblage is aiming to occurrence him "for cause" to debar paying him the buyout.

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LSU Tigers caput manager Brian Kelly looks connected during warmups earlier a crippled against the Southeastern Louisiana Lions astatine Tiger Stadium.  (Stephen Lew/Imagn Images)

"LSU's representatives had a telephone with Coach Kelly's representatives, wherever LSU took the presumption that Coach Kelly had not been formally terminated and informed Coach Kelly's representatives, for the precise archetypal time, that LSU believed grounds for termination for origin existed," the suit says, according to ESPN.

"LSU has ne'er claimed that Coach Kelly was terminated for origin and, anterior to November 10, 2025, ne'er asserted that helium engaged successful immoderate behaviour that would warrant specified a termination," the suit continues. "To the contrary, LSU repeatedly confirmed, some publically and to Coach Kelly, that the termination was owed to the Team's performance, not for cause."

When formally announcing Kelly's departure, then-athletic manager Scott Woodward said, "We had precocious hopes that helium would pb america to aggregate SEC and nationalist championships during his clip successful Baton Rouge. Ultimately, the occurrence astatine the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize, and I made the determination to marque a alteration aft past night's game."

Woodward has since near his station aft Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said helium would not let Woodward to prosecute the adjacent coach, claiming helium would alternatively person President Donald Trump marque the decision. 

However, the suit claimed that Kelly's representatives were told by LSU that Kelly was ne'er officially fired since Woodward did not adjacent person "the authorization to terminate Coach Kelly and/or marque colony offers to him."

Louisiana State University caput manager Brian Kelly during the 4th fourth astatine Memorial Stadium successful Clemson, South Carolina connected Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. (Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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In his sentiments astir Woodward, Landry besides blamed the erstwhile diversion manager for the $77 cardinal fixed to Jimbo Fisher, whom Woodward hired and whose declaration negotiations helium oversaw, erstwhile Fisher was fto spell by Texas A&M.

Current diversion manager Verge Ausberry did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Kelly's ousting came soon aft Penn State fired James Franklin, arsenic aggregate big-time assemblage opportunities person opened up this season.

In their archetypal crippled post-Kelly, LSU mislaid to No. 4 Alabama 20-9. They wrapper up the play with Arkansas, Western Kentucky and Oklahoma.

Head manager Brian Kelly of the LSU Tigers reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies during a crippled astatine Tiger Stadium connected November 25, 2023 successful Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

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Kelly owns a beingness grounds of 297-109-2 dating backmost to his days coaching Division II schoolhouse Grand Valley State from 1991 done 2003. He spent 12 seasons astatine Notre Dame earlier going to Baton Rouge and besides had stops astatine Central Michigan and Cincinnati.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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