LSU to fire Brian Kelly, according to ESPN report

On Saturday night, LSU football head coach Brian Kelly ran out of answers as the Tigers were blown out at home by the Texas A&M Aggies, losing by a final score of 49-25. Before the game went final, the chants calling for Kelly’s job rained down at Tiger Stadium, and the loss dropped LSU to 5-3, with just a 2-3 mark in the SEC.

Now Kelly is not just out of answers, he is out of a job.

LSU informed Kelly that the school intends to fire him on Sunday night, according to ESPN reporter Pete Thamel. Once the move is complete, it will bring Kelly’s LSU tenure to a close in his fourth season in Baton Rouge. Kelly took over for the 2022 season to much fanfare and delivered ten wins in his first year, guiding the Tigers to the Citrus Bowl. While Kelly’s teams won three bowl games during his time on campus, the Tigers never reached the College Football Playoff in any of those seasons, and his record at LSU stands at 34-14.

What might have doomed Kelly was the fact that Saturday night’s loss to Texas A&M dropped LSU’s record in conference play to just 19-10 under the head coach.

Something else that certainly did not help was Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who took to social media to blast a plan to raise LSU ticket prices for next season:

The decision to fire Kelly is an expensive one for LSU, as the head coach is owed a $53 million buyout. That is the second-biggest in college football history, behind the $77 million Texas A&M paid Jimbo Fisher.

Current LSU athletic director Scott Woodward was in that role with Texas A&M when the school hired Fisher.

Update: LSU made it official Sunday night.

“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,” Woodward said in a statement. “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. I am grateful for the ongoing consultations and support of the LSU Board of Supervisors and Interim President Matt Lee in this decision. We wish Coach Kelly and his family the very best in their future endeavors. We will continue to negotiate his separation and will work toward a path that is better for both parties.”