BREAKING: LSU fires head coach Brian Kelly

LSU has fired head coach Brian Kelly in his fourth season as the head coach of the Tigers, sources tell The Bengal Tiger and On3.

Kelly’s firing comes short of four full seasons as head coach in Baton Rouge, and Saturday’s loss to Texas A&M will keep the Tigers short of a 10-win regular season for the fourth time during his four years as head coach.

Kelly, who was hired from Notre Dame ahead of the 2022 season, had a 34-14 record as LSU Football’s head coach.

The move to part ways with Kelly comes less than 24 hours after the Tigers fell to Texas A&M in Death Valley on Saturday night on a night when fans chanted for Kelly to be fired before heading to the exits after the third quarter of a 49-25 loss.

The move comes after a 5-3 start to a 2025 season that brought with it expectations of making the 12-team College Football Playoffs.

With back-to-back losses, the Tigers are all but out of the CFB Playoffs race as Kelly fell short of a 10-win regular season for the fourth time in his four seasons in Baton Rouge.

While Kelly’s remaining contract and notable buyout of nearly $60 million was viewed by many as too big of a hurdle for the school to part ways, but the move made by LSU on Sunday put the debates to rest. The two sides continue to work on the final buyout numbers, sources confirmed.

After 48 games as head coach at LSU, Kelly’s time at the helm in Baton Rouge has ended.

Inside LSU’s contract with Brian Kelly

With LSU’s decision to part ways with Brian Kelly after eight games of the 2025 season, the two sides are continuing to work through the buyout details, sources said.

The original contract state the Tigers will owe the program’s former head coach more than $53 million.

LSU hired Kelly away from Notre Dame in November 2021, signing him to a 10-year, $95 million deal that also includes incentives.

Less than four years later, the Tigers cut ties with Kelly in a decision that included navigating through the second-highest buyout in college football history.

LSU and Kelly have six years remaining on the deal. With no changes, Kelly would be paid 90% of his salary through the remainder of his contract.

Here’s the buyout breakdown of Brian Kelly’s contract:

• Buyout is $53.29 million after the 2025 season
• Buyout drops to $43.9 million after the 2026 season
• Buyout drops to $35.2 million after the 2027 season
• Buyout drops to $26.6 million after the 2028 season
• Buyout drops to $17.8 million after the 2029 season
• Buyout drops to $9 million after the 2030 season
• Buyout drops to $0 after the 2031 season

The contract includes a duty to mitigate clause, meaning Kelly would be required to search for a new job if he were fired. LSU would only have to pay the difference in salary between the negotiated buyout terms and his salary.

As part of Kelly’s contract with LSU, the head coach was given an interest-free mortgage loan with relocation costs of up to $1.2 million. The Tigers also pay for an annual car allowance, $275,000 per year for private air travel and Baton Rouge country club membership.

Kelly was hired in 2021 after LSU fired Ed Orgeron. After a 12-year stint and 92–39 stint in South Bend, Kelly decided to take on the SEC. He’s posted two 10-win seasons, coming in 2022 and 2023. The Tigers have faltered the last two seasons, going 9-4 in 2024. LSU is now 7-6 in SEC games the last two seasons combined.