LSU’s 2025 football season has taken a challenging turn, as the Tigers find themselves at 5-2 following two losses to ranked opponents. Under Coach Brian Kelly, the team’s aspirations of making a run for the College Football Playoff are now in jeopardy, especially after a disappointing defeat against Vanderbilt in Week 8, marking their second setback in three weeks.
The Tigers’ season started with high expectations, but consecutive losses – including a home defeat to Ole Miss – have pushed them down the SEC standings. With the formidable challenges of facing No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 6 Alabama in the coming weeks, the pressure mounts on Kelly to guide his team to essential victories to alleviate concerns regarding his future at LSU.
In his four seasons at the helm, Kelly has accumulated a record of 34-13, but the Tigers have consistently lost at least three games each season, failing to qualify for the Playoff. As LSU’s tradition centers around securing national championships, a continuation of this trend for a fourth consecutive year could prompt serious discussions about Kelly’s position as head coach.
Kelly’s current contract, signed in 2021, spans ten years with a compensation of $9.4 million this season, leaving 6 years and $58.2 million remaining. The terms of his buyout stipulate that firing him would incur a cost of 90% of his remaining salary, totaling approximately $52.4 million if he were to be dismissed after the current season. Moreover, if terminated during the season, that amount would increase by 90% of his remaining salary for the year.
At 63 years old, Kelly might also consider retirement if he assesses the situation as increasingly untenable or if he wishes to step away from coaching altogether. The college football landscape has seen many veteran coaches retire in recent years due to shifts in revenue-sharing and NIL regulations, making it plausible that Kelly could choose to exit on his own terms.
Compounding the situation is the recent firings in college football, highlighted by James Franklin’s departure from Penn State, which underscores that no buyout is too substantial when it comes to hiring a prospective superior coach. With coaching changes looming, LSU and several other SEC teams could be contemplating shifts in leadership, making this season potentially one of the most tumultuous yet for coaching movements in college football.
Ultimately, the substantial buyout figure facing LSU would necessitate the institution’s complete confidence in securing a more adept replacement before making such a decisive move regarding Kelly’s future.