Brian Kelly set for $54M payout after suing LSU over contract buyout dispute resolution process

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A wild turn in the already ugly Brian Kelly-LSU divorce had a happy ending for the former Tigers coach.

Kelly will receive the remainder of the $54 million owed to him after a lawsuit filed by Kelly claimed the school attempted to avoid paying up.

The coach filed a lawsuit against LSU, claiming the school was attempting to avoid its buyout after allegedly telling Kelly's representatives it had not officially terminated him and was instead looking to fire him for cause.

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Head coach Brian Kelly of the LSU Tigers during a game against the USC Trojans at Allegiant Stadium on Sept. 1, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Gus Stark/LSU/Getty Images)

Kelly, though, received a letter from the school on Wednesday stating he had officially been terminated without cause and is owed "liquidated damages as required" under his contract.

LSU spelled out in the letter that Kelly has a legal obligation to make "good-faith, reasonable and sustained efforts" to get another job in football while he is still being paid by LSU.

When formally announcing Kelly's departure, then-athletic director Scott Woodward said, "We had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge. 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."

Louisiana State University head coach Brian Kelly during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina on Aug. 30, 2025. (Ken Ruinard/USA Today Network South Carolina/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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