Late Sunday night, ESPN college football senior writer Pete Thamel reported that the LSU Tigers have fired head coach Brian Kelly. The Tigers are 5-3 overall and 2-3 in SEC play. Kelly was in his fourth
season as the Tigers’ coach.
Associate head coach Frank Wilson will finish out the season as the interim head coach. Wilson has been a head coach at two previous stops, UTSA and McNeese State.
LSU hired Kelly from Notre Dame in December 2021. In what was a shock to the college football world, Kelly signed a 10-year, $95 million contract. The Tigers will owe Kelly 90% of the remainder of the contract following his mid-season termination. That number is estimated to be approximately $54 million.
Kelly departs from LSU with a 34-11 overall record, including a 19-10 record in SEC play. He ends his Tigers’ tenure with a 5-11 record against ranked opponents. The veteran coach never lost to the Wildcats whilst at LSU; he was 3-0 against Mark Stoops.
Kelly will join one of the most significant coaching carousels in recent history. Florida, Penn State, among many others, will be in search of a head coach for the 2026 season.
Let’s hope Kentucky becomes part of it with Mark Stoops, who has a $38 million buyout if fired, though that could be negotiated down.
