How Much is Brian Kelly's Buyout for LSU Football? Salary, Contract Details in 2025

An offseason that saw multiple coaching changes, a collective buy-in from the program, and one of the most talented rosters in the nation, the Bayou Bengals remain in a challenging spot.

LSU is now 5-2 on the season and 2-2 in SEC play with the program dropping two of the last three games.

Now, the fan base in Baton Rouge is calling for change in Baton Rouge with the "Kelly Era" becoming a challenge.

A dilemma for the program: Kelly's buyout.

Kelly has one of the highest buyouts in college football where LSU would owe their head coach $53,293,333, as of December 1, 2025, if the Tigers fired him without cause, according to USA Today.

The Top-10 Highest Buyouts:

1. Kirby Smart, Georgia: $105,107,583
2. Ryan Day, Ohio State: $70,916,667
3. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama: $60,843,750
4. Steve Sarkisian, Texas: $60,307,500
5. Dabo Swinney, Clemson: $60,000,000
6. Mike Norvell, Florida State: $58,667,708
7. Dan Lanning, Oregon: $56,733,333
8. Curt Cignetti, Indiana: $56,700,000
9. Brian Kelly, LSU: $53,293,333
10. Matt Rhule, Nebraska: $49,612,500
11. Bret Bielema, Illinois: $49,491,666

Brian Kelly's Take: Garrett Nussmeier Must Continue Improving

"He plays with a swagger, and he's better with a swagger that I don't know that he had that the previous weeks. Thought he was a little bit robotic," Kelly said.

"We said, listen, you need to be Garrett Nussmeier, and he was. Unfortunately, some of that comes with some mistakes. I think that that's an aberration, the mistake that was in the red zone, and something that he would immediately say, I should have had my eyes on that safety, because that's my read," Kelly added.