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Newsstand: Former Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly fired at LSU

Kyle Kellyby: Kyle Kelly5 hours agoByKyleKelly
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Former Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly is out at LSU.

Less than 46 months after leaving the Fighting Irish — while the program remained alive for a College Football Playoff berth after the 2021 regular season — the school that hired him away has relieved the 64-year-old Kelly of his post in Baton Rouge.

“When Coach Kelly arrived at LSU four years ago, we had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge,” LSU athletic director Scott Woodward said. “Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize, and I made the decision to make a change after last night’s game.”

The Tigers lost 49-25 to Texas A&M at home Saturday night, marking LSU’s third loss in four games. Former Notre Dame defensive coordinators Mike Elko (2017) and Clark Lea (2018-20) — now head coaches at No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 9 Vanderbilt — defeated Kelly’s LSU team in back-to-back weeks.

Kelly went 34-14 during his four seasons in Baton Rouge, including 5-3 in 2025. Before leaving for LSU, Kelly compiled a 113-40 record at Notre Dame, becoming the program’s all-time winningest coach. The NCAA later vacated 21 wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons due to infractions.

By firing Kelly, LSU is responsible for paying him more than $53 million in buyout money. However, according to LSU athletics, the terms of the separation are still being negotiated.

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