LSU Just Fired Brian Kelly—And He's Owed A $54 Million Buyout

LSU hired Brian Kelly away from Notre Dame before the 2022 season. At the time, the school felt like it had found the next coach that could meet the lofty expectations to compete for a national title. Yet that never quite happened. The Tigers were fairly solid in Kelly's first two seasons, winning 10 games both years and finishing in the top 15 in the Coaches Poll. But they stumbled last year and continued their woes this season. After a 5-3 start, which included losses in three out of the last four, LSU decided it was time to part ways with Kelly.

He finishes his LSU career over three-and-a-half seasons with a record of 34-14; the Tigers' record in SEC play was just 19-10. Kelly will leave without a national championship, though he will walk away with a ton of money.

LSU is still finalizing Kelly's buyout, but as of now, the school owes its former coach a whopping $54 million.

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Kelly's contract calls for a buyout worth 90% of his remaining base salary and additional compensation, including a "longevity compensation" bonus that will be paid on July 15, 2026. Kelly was under contract through New Year's Eve in 2031, or the Tigers' final game of that season, whichever came last.

There's also a "duty to mitigate" clause in Kelly's contract. That means he has to look for other jobs; he can't just rest on his laurels and cash in. He's already 64 years old, but if he wants that buyout money, he can't quite retire just yet.

Under his deal, Kelly's base salary was only $400,000. However, he received the longevity compensation bonus every July 15 which was worth $500,000. And he got an additional $9 million in supplemental pay from January 1 of this year to December 31 of 2026. That supplemental pay would increase by $200,000 every two years.

The combination of pay made Kelly a top-ten highest-paid coach in college football. Because of that, his buyout is also one of the wealthiest the college game has ever seen (assuming he gets paid the full amount). Penn State's James Franklin got a $50 million buyout earlier this year. Texas A&M fired Jimbo Fisher in November 2023 and owes him $76 million, still the highest buyout for a college football coach.

Kelly is likely disheartened that he couldn't lead the Tigers to another national championship. Falling short in that goal is probably easier to stomach when you're being paid millions of dollars anyway.