Brian Kelly’s lawsuit against LSU, filed November 10, 2025, in the 19th Judicial District Court for East Baton Rouge Parish, asked a judge to declare that the university had fired him without cause and owed him roughly $54 million under his contract. LSU had refused to confirm the terms of his October 26 dismissal and was floating a “for cause” termination that would have wiped out the buyout. The standoff ended quickly. On November 26, 2025, LSU President Wade Rousse sent Kelly’s attorneys a letter formally classifying the firing as without cause, and Kelly’s suit was set to be dropped on December 1.1Front Office Sports. LSU Agrees to Pay Brian Kelly Full $54M Buyout Ending Lawsuit2The Athletic. LSU Formally Terminates Brian Kelly Without Cause
What Kelly Asked the Court to Do
Kelly’s 48-page petition for declaratory judgment named the LSU Board of Supervisors as the defendant and sought a court order confirming that his firing was without cause. Under his 10-year, $95 million contract, that classification entitled him to 90 percent of his remaining salary, paid in monthly installments of roughly $800,000 through 2031, totaling about $54 million.3CBS Sports. Brian Kelly LSU Tigers Coach Contract Buyout Settlement4WAFB. Attorney Explains LSU’s Options Brian Kelly’s $54 Million Buyout
Kelly’s lawyers set a 5 p.m. deadline on November 10 for LSU to confirm in writing that the termination was without cause. When the deadline passed with no response, the suit was filed. Kelly was represented by Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann in New Orleans and by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.5WBRZ. Petition for Declaratory Judgment and Exhibits LSU referred the case to the Louisiana Attorney General’s office, which said only that the “lawsuit is being reviewed.”6The Athletic. Brian Kelly LSU Lawsuit
Why LSU Refused to Confirm the Buyout
Athletic director Scott Woodward announced Kelly’s firing on October 26, 2025, the day after a 49-25 home loss to No. 3 Texas A&M. “Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize,” Woodward said, “and I made the decision to make a change after last night’s game.”7LSU Sports. LSU Athletics Announces Leadership Change in Football Framed that way, the dismissal was performance-based, and the without-cause buyout was the obvious consequence.
The politics changed fast. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry publicly attacked the buyout, saying he was “tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill.”8WBAL-TV. Louisiana Jeff Landry Intervention LSU Football On October 29 he stripped Woodward of authority to pick the next coach. Two days later, Woodward resigned. Landry told the Pat McAfee Show that if donors didn’t cover the payout, “the state of Louisiana has to foot that bill.”9Tiger Rag. Gov Jeff Landry Confirms Brian Kelly Buyout Could Cost LA Taxpayers
With Woodward gone, LSU’s posture shifted. Kelly emailed interim athletic director Verge Ausberry on November 5 acknowledging his termination and signaling willingness to negotiate. LSU reportedly countered with lump-sum offers of $25 million and then $30 million, both of which Kelly rejected.10ESPN. Brian Kelly Lawsuit Says LSU Claims Not Formally Terminated Then, on a November 10 phone call, LSU representatives told Kelly’s lawyers that Woodward had lacked authority to fire him, that the October 26 dismissal wasn’t official, and that grounds might exist to terminate him for cause. The suit followed hours later.
The “for cause” theory rested on allegations that surfaced in the following weeks: that Kelly had consumed alcohol in his coaches’ office and spent excessive time golfing during the season. Kelly disputed the golfing claim, pointing to a torn rotator cuff sustained during a sideline collision in a September 13 game against Florida.11Tiger Rag. Brian Kelly Fires Back at Accusations That He Drank Alcohol in His LSU Office and Golfed a Lot LSU was ultimately unable to substantiate those allegations as grounds for cause.
Kelly’s Legal Arguments
The petition made four central points:
- Woodward’s October 26 announcement, combined with private communications, established that the firing was performance-based, not misconduct-based.
- Kelly’s contract required LSU to notify him of any for-cause grounds within seven days of the underlying conduct and to give him a seven-day response window. LSU never followed that process.
- LSU’s sudden pivot to “for cause” was an attempt to “manufacture” grounds after the fact to avoid a contractual obligation already triggered.10ESPN. Brian Kelly Lawsuit Says LSU Claims Not Formally Terminated
- LSU’s refusal to confirm the termination status and its “unsupported allegations of misconduct” were making it “nearly impossible” for Kelly to secure new work during a critical hiring period, when nine Power Four head coaching jobs were open.12New York Post. LSU Making It Impossible for Brian Kelly to Find a New Job Attorney13Yahoo Sports. Brian Kelly Said Legal Battle With LSU Made It Nearly Impossible to Land Another Job
That last point had a financial edge. Kelly’s contract contained a mitigation clause: if he found new coaching, media, or administrative work, LSU would owe only the difference between his new salary and the buyout. By making him harder to hire, LSU was arguably undermining the provision that could have reduced its own bill.
How the Dispute Ended
On November 21, 2025, the LSU Board of Supervisors held a special meeting and, after a closed executive session of nearly an hour, voted unanimously to authorize new university president Wade Rousse to review and, if appropriate, send Kelly written notice of termination under his employment agreement. Board athletics subcommittee chair John Carmouche made the motion.14Louisiana Radio Network. LSU Board of Supervisors Special Meeting15ESPN. LSU Formally Moves to Fire Brian Kelly Response Lawsuit
Rousse’s November 26 letter classified the termination as without cause. LSU committed to paying roughly $53 million to $54 million over six years in monthly installments of about $800,000, with Kelly owed approximately $9 million annually through 2031.16Nola.com. LSU Football Brian Kelly Firing Buyout Legal Dispute The agreement preserved the mitigation clause: Kelly must make “good-faith, reasonable, and sustained efforts” to find work in coaching, administration, or media, and must document his search, including interviews and offers. Any salary he earns reduces LSU’s obligation by the amount of the new pay.17LSU Reveille. LSU Brian Kelly Buyout Agree to Pay
Where Kelly Stands Now
As of mid-2026, Kelly has not secured a full-time paid position in coaching, media, or administration.18Saturday Down South. Brian Kelly Comments on Potential Return to Coaching He has taken an unpaid, unofficial consulting role with the University of Memphis football program, advising head coach Charles Huff on program development and roster building. Because the role carries no salary, it does not trigger the offset provision in his buyout agreement, and LSU’s monthly payments continue.19Rocky Top Insider. Former LSU HC Brian Kelly Reportedly in Unpaid Consultant Role