Brian Kelly Fired From LSU and Could Create The Sports Biggest Buyout
LSU’s decision to fire head football coach Brian Kelly has set off a firestorm—not just for what it means on the field, but what it’s going to cost off of it. Kelly was only in the fourth year of a massive 10-year, $100…
LSU’s decision to fire head football coach Brian Kelly has set off a firestorm—not just for what it means on the field, but what it’s going to cost off of it.
Kelly was only in the fourth year of a massive 10-year, $100 million contract when university officials decided it was time to move in a new direction. That contract wasn’t just large—it was 90% guaranteed. That means no matter how things ended, Kelly was going to walk away with a hefty check. Now, with his firing official, the question becomes how much LSU will end up paying to buy him out—and early reports suggest it could be one of the biggest payouts in college football history.
It won’t be the biggest, but it’s expected to land near the top.
Some fans may not have seen this coming so soon, but the pressure in the SEC is unlike anywhere else. LSU brought in Kelly from Notre Dame in 2022 with championship expectations. Four seasons later, with no national title and inconsistent performance, boosters and school leaders clearly felt it was time to act.
Buyouts like these aren’t new. College football has a long history of massive payouts for coaches who didn’t deliver—or sometimes just didn’t fit. One of the earliest examples came when Notre Dame cut ties with Charlie Weis in 2009, paying him nearly $19 million to leave the program. Ironically, Kelly was the man hired to replace Weis back then.
Fast forward to more recent years, and the numbers have grown even larger.
Billy Napier, formerly of Florida, was also fired this year after a rocky start to the 2025 season. His buyout? An estimated $21.2 million. Gus Malzahn at Auburn was let go in 2020 for $21.4 million—only to be followed by Bryan Harsin, who was also eventually fired after less than two seasons. The carousel keeps turning, and the dollars keep piling up.
But even those figures don’t come close to what Penn State just agreed to pay James Franklin. Franklin was allegedly fired earlier this season after a 3-3 start, including a shocking loss to Northwestern that had fans calling for his removal. Franklin’s buyout? A staggering $49 million. That payout now sits at third on the all-time list—and Kelly’s could surpass it.