BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU announced late Sunday that head coach Brian Kelly has been relieved of his duties following a 49-25 home loss to Texas A&M.
Athletic Director Scott Woodward said in a statement that while expectations were high when Kelly was hired, “the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize.”
Kelly leaves LSU with a 34-14 record over just more than three seasons. Despite early promise, the Tigers never reached the College Football Playoff, and recent losses — capped by Saturday’s defeat — highlighted the program’s decline.
The buyout tied to Kelly’s contract is reportedly $53–54 million, making it the second-most-expensive firing in FBS history.
Kelly was brought in from Notre Dame in 2022 with the goal of contending for SEC and national titles, continuing the school’s championship tradition under coaches Les Miles and Ed Orgeron.
LSU opened this season 4-0, but setbacks mounted as the year progressed. During Saturday’s game, fans inside Tiger Stadium were heard chanting “Fire Kelly.”
Reaction on social media was equally harsh:
Even Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) weighed in — blasting LSU’s leadership and sky-high ticket prices after yet another disappointing loss.