LSU has officially terminated Brian Kelly as head football coach. The school’s written notice states the firing is “without cause.”
As a result, the full $54 million buyout remaining on his contract is now owed.
The formal termination letter was delivered on November 26. It includes a clause requiring Kelly to make a “good-faith, reasonable and sustained effort” to find a new qualifying job.
If he does so, he will receive the total payout over the duration specified in the contract.
This resolution follows a contentious legal battle that began shortly after Kelly’s dismissal on October 26, following a 49–25 loss to Texas A&M when LSU was 5–3 on the season.
The university initially described the firing as performance-based but held off on issuing clear, legally binding paperwork. That delay triggered a lawsuit from Kelly, who argued the ambiguous language was preventing him from seeking new coaching jobs.
His attorneys wrote: “LSU has made it nearly impossible for Coach Kelly to secure other football-related employment.”
The letter signed by LSU’s authorities now closes that chapter. The school will honor its contractual obligations. Kelly’s exit ends a four-year tenure in which he compiled a 34–14 record with the Tigers.
LSU can now pivot to hiring a new head coach. Meanwhile, Kelly carries a significant payday.
