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Former LSU Tigers head football coach Brian Kelly threatened legal action in relation to his $54 million buyout after being fired last month.
Kelly, 64, rejected lump-sum offers of $25 million and $30 million and his representatives are threatening to sue the university if he doesn't receive his buyout in full, according to a letter written by his attorneys to LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry and LSU Board of Supervisors member John Carmouche last Wednesday (November 5) asking for written confirmation by 5:00 p.m. today, the Advocate reports.
“Absent this written confirmation by that date, Coach Kelly will pursue all available legal remedies,” Kelly's attorneys wrote.
Kelly is owed 90% of his remaining annual compensation, according to the Advocate and is due equal paid monthly installments through the remainder of his contract, which was set to run through 2031. The two sides were scheduled to meet on Monday, according to the report.
Kelly's $54 million buyout is the second-largest in the history of college football behind only former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher. Kelly was hired by LSU after 12 seasons at Notre Dame and went 34-14 (19-10 SEC) during his four seasons in Baton Rouge, but has struggled to meet lofty expectations, finishing with a worse record than the previous season each year, which included tying for fourth in the SEC in 2024.
The Tigers, who ranked as high as No. 3 overall for several weeks, fell out of the Associated Press Top 25 College Football rankings prior to Kelly's firing.