LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly’s Job Status Unknown

According to reports from guys who know things, like Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger and ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the powers that be at LSU, we’re talking university execs and even the governor, are having “high-level discussions.” That’s fancy talk for “Should we fire this guy?” It seems the conversations have even progressed to “outreach to Kelly about his potential departure.” Yikes.

After the latest loss, a shell-shocked Kelly took to the podium. “This is an extremely disappointing night,” he said, stating the obvious. “Any fan base would be upset. The responsibility falls on me.” He’s not wrong. For a program with LSU’s proud tradition, a 34-14 record over four seasons with no real sniff of a national title just doesn’t cut it. The “noise is deserved,” Kelly said, but can he actually fix what’s broken?

The $54 Million Question For Kelly

Here’s the kicker, and it’s a big one: money. Firing Kelly would mean ponying up a buyout in the neighborhood of a cool $54 million. That is a staggering amount of cash, even for a program that prints it. It’s the kind of number that makes athletic directors sweat through their seersucker suits. But in the high-stakes world of SEC football, sometimes you have to pay a king’s ransom to escape a bad marriage.

The Tigers now face a brutal stretch, with a road trip to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama looming after a bye week. It’s hard to see a path where Kelly can salvage this season and, perhaps, his job. He’s been in the game for 35 years and knows the deal: if things aren’t going well, the head coach is the one who pays the price.

Right now, Kelly’s future at LSU is as murky as the Mississippi River. The team is on a break, but you can bet the discussions behind closed doors are anything but. The only question is whether LSU is willing to swallow that massive financial pill to start fresh. Stay tuned, because this coaching carousel is just getting started.