Former LSU head coach Brian Kelly reportedly rejected two settlement offers from the school, ESPN reported on Monday. After less than four full seasons with the Tigers, LSU fired Kelly on Oct. 26 and his contract included a $54 million buyout. Per ESPN, Kelly turned down settlement offers of $25 million and $30 million. While he appeared open to a settlement in an email obtained last week, he has reportedly turned down the offers he’s received.
According to Dan Wetzel of ESPN, Kelly’s attorneys state in a legal filing against LSU’s board of supervisors that LSU claims they have not “formally terminated” Kelly as the team’s football coach and are allegedly trying to fire him “for cause,” according to the petition. The suit also claims that LSU told Kelly’s representatives that former athletic director Scott Woodward did not have the authority to fire Kelly or make settlement offers to him, so he was not officially terminated.
Per a copy of the lawsuit that was obtained by ESPN, “LSU's representatives had a call with Coach Kelly's representatives, where LSU took the position that Coach Kelly had not been formally terminated and informed Coach Kelly's representatives, for the very first time, that LSU believed grounds for termination for cause existed."
If Kelly’s firing was “for cause,” then LSU would not have to pay out his full buyout. Kelly’s contract does include a “for cause” provision that determines he could be fired for "material and substantial [NCAA] rule violations," being convicted of a felony or "any crime involving gambling, drugs, or alcohol," "engaging in serious misconduct which either displays a continual, serious disrespect ... for the mission of LSU," or "constitutes moral turpitude.”
According to the lawsuit, LSU would have had to inform Kelly that his firing was “for cause” within seven days, and they did not do that.
In the filing, Kelly’s representation is looking for “a declaratory judgment confirming that LSU's termination of Coach Kelly is without cause and that Coach Kelly is entitled to receive the full liquidated damages provided for in [his contract],” via ESPN.
Kelly’s representatives also assert, “LSU has never claimed that Coach Kelly was terminated for cause and, prior to November 10, 2025, never asserted that he engaged in any conduct that would warrant such a termination. To the contrary, LSU repeatedly confirmed, both publicly and to Coach Kelly, that the termination was due to the Team's performance, not for cause.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: LSU Trying to Fire Brian Kelly ‘For Cause,’ Avoid Paying Full $54 Million Buyout.
