Steve Spurrier reacts to Brian Kelly firing at LSU

Steve Spurrier, like a lot of people, thought Brian Kelly could finally get over the hump in Year 4 at LSU. It was not to be as the Tigers could not live up to preseason expectations, are 5-3 through two-thirds of the season and Kelly is now without a job.

Kelly exits without an SEC title or College Football Playoff appearance, the expectation in Baton Rouge. As Spurrier noted, it just didn’t work out despite the investment from the school and fanbase.

“Brian Kelly, you know, this year they were supposed to, really be good,” Spurrier said on Another Dooley Noted Podcast. “Preseason, what were they number five, something like that? And they spent all kinds of money, one of the biggest spending teams in the nation, and then it just hadn’t worked out for them.”

Kelly was in his fourth season as LSU’s head coach. The school will owe him a $53 million buyout, the second largest buyout in college football history, only trailing former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher.

LSU hired Kelly in 2021, signing him to a 10-year, $95 million deal that also included incentives. In his four seasons at LSU, he led the program to a combined 34-14 overall record and a 19-10 mark in conference play.

LSU finished with 10 wins in each of Kelly’s first two seasons at LSU. However, in the 2024 campaign, the Tigers posted a 9-4 record. With three losses already this season, it appeared LSU was on pace for another season with fewer than 10 wins under Kelly.

Kelly took over at LSU after spending 10 seasons at Notre Dame. He also has head coaching experience at Cincinnati, Central Michigan and Grand Valley State.

While he was successful at Notre Dame, Kelly felt he could take the next step as a coach and win a national title with the Tigers. But that did not come to pass.

As far as what’s next for LSU, the school is expected to swing for the fences on the next hire. Basically, just like Penn State and Florida.

“I don’t think money is going to be a factor in what they go after. Therefore, there’s two people that are going to get calls, and I think that LSU is going to force them to turn down $15 million a year. And that is Urban Meyer and Nick Saban,” Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt said on his show. “Both of those guys will get that call. And if I’m Scott Woodard, I think that you have to make that call.

“If I’m the AD, I’m making that call to both of those gentlemen. And, by the way, if they both turn me down — great… So those two guys are going to get the first two calls, and then it goes to maybe the more feasible ones. Although, who knows, maybe one of those guys will be the next coach at LSU.”