The LSU circus

[Nutriaitch]

ok, this is becoming too comical not to have its own thread dedicated to the absolute shitshow going on in Baton Rouge

to recap in (I think) chronological order so far

1. Brian Kelly is fired - effective immediately
2. Governor brags that he pulled trigger behind AD's back
3. Governor says we ain't paying these big contracts anymore
4. Rumors swirl about a reduced buyout due to "morality clause"
5. AD is fired
6. Interim AD is named
7. Governor tells everyone the State Taxpayers are responsible for buyout (they're not)
8. Governor calls out the biggest Agent in the coaching world
9. Governor then says poaching a coach from an in-state school is not a good look
10. New President is named (a guy the governor poached from an in-state school)
11. AD has the interim tag removed
12. President says AD is not permanent, just isn't interim.
13. President then says he's permanent "acting" AD
14. LSU says he is permanent AD
15. Kelly sues LSU for full amount of buyout
16. LSU claims they've never "formally fired" Brian Kelly yet.
17. LSU refers the case to the state AG (NOW taxpayers are footing a bill that was non-existent prior to this)

is that everything?
I'm sure I'll be adding to this list soon enough


Jesus H. Christ, if this was a movie, I would turn it off for being too outlandish.

 

[Hatchertiger]

And how Kelly outfoxed LSU with a "heartfelt" goodbye letter to the fans. #gagmewithaspoon Hey Jeff, that's called good PR, something you know nothing about.

 

[Nutriaitch]

And how Kelly outfoxed LSU with a "heartfelt" goodbye letter to the fans. #gagmewithaspoon Hey Jeff, that's called good PR, something you know nothing about.

think about it like this.

Brian Kelly is widely regardless as an unlikeable asshole.
and LSU has somehow managed to let him look like the sympathetic figure here.

 

[houtiger]

One thing you didn't mention is that Frank Wilson was introduced as the interim head football coach.

Nobody has said that BK was assigned any other duties at LSU.

As to whether Kelly was "formally fired" due to an obscure process in the LSU bylaws, that is a problem between LSU and Woodward. LSU did not train Woodward properly on how to fire someone, and how does that become Kelly's problem? Of course Woodward has been fired, so maybe he paid for not following the procedure.

LSU immediately started negotiating with Kelly's attorneys on a reduced buyout. If Kelly was terminated for cause, the buyout is ZERO. If terminated for cause, there is nothing owed to Kelly.

LSU looks like the gang that can't shoot straight.

 

[Nutriaitch]

One thing you didn't mention is that Frank Wilson was introduced as the interim head football coach.

I intentionally left that part out because it's not part of the "circus"
naming an interim is standard procedure and honestly Frank Wilson made the most sense of anyone currently on staff.

Nobody has said that BK was assigned any other duties at LSU.

correct.
in fact, LSU released a written statement and also held a press conference saying they have separated from Brian Kelly "effective immediately"

As to whether Kelly was "formally fired" due to an obscure process in the LSU bylaws, that is a problem between LSU and Woodward. LSU did not train Woodward properly on how to fire someone, and how does that become Kelly's problem? Of course Woodward has been fired, so maybe he paid for not following the procedure.

how do we know it was Woodward that screwed up? He's been an AD at multiple other schools before coming to LSU. Fired coaches at both of those schools too.

Kelly's contract is technically with the Board of Supervisors.
In fact, members of that very board were at the press conference and even got to the podium and spoke about Kelly being fired and the search for his replacement.

Woodward may have followed the procedure exactly as he should have.
Meet with board, get approval, inform coach. (or whatever the actual outlined procedure is).

The board then has a series of steps they must follow regarding firing a guy who is technically an employee of the state.
And let's be honest here. Louisiana doesn't have the best reputation in the world when it comes to shit like this.

LSU immediately started negotiating with Kelly's attorneys on a reduced buyout. If Kelly was terminated for cause, the buyout is ZERO. If terminated for cause, there is nothing owed to Kelly.

this is going to court (unless LSU tucks their tails and just pays the buyout).

and it is VERY difficult to win a "for cause" case without having an absolute slam dunk of a case.
I'm not sure how many schools have actually won when the cases make it into a court room, but I'm guessing not very many.

LSU looks like the gang that can't shoot straight.

I said that before they even fired Woody.

this looks like gross incompetence across the board from the LSU side.

 

[Hatchertiger]

Gov may lose his reelection over this debacle unless LSU miraculously comes out of this looking good. I have no reason to believe that will be the case since the powers that be have stepped in it at every turn. Doesn’t even feel like we have a game this week. #sad

 

[Herb]

It's not like this is the only instance of the Governor's ineptitude. Not sure what is in the water in Southern Louisiana, but meddling, dumb decision making, and corruption are hallmarks of the the mindset of the region whether it is politicians, boosters, our coaches, business leaders, law enforcement...

 

[Nutriaitch]

It's not like this is the only instance of the Governor's ineptitude. Not sure what is in the water in Southern Louisiana, but meddling, dumb decision making, and corruption are hallmarks of the the mindset of the region whether it is politicians, boosters, our coaches, business leaders, law enforcement...

generations and generations of this happening.
it's in the state's DNA

 

[houtiger]

This is the press release from LSU, Oct. 26, 2025 8:18 PM

"BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU Athletics has made the decision to separate with football head coach Brian Kelly effective immediately, Director of Athletics Scott Woodward announced Sunday.

Terms of the separation are still being negotiated.

“When Coach Kelly arrived at LSU four years ago, we had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge,” Woodward said. “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. I am grateful for the ongoing consultations and support of the LSU Board of Supervisors and Interim President Matt Lee in this decision. We wish Coach Kelly and his family the very best in their future endeavors. We will continue to negotiate his separation and will work toward a path that is better for both parties.”

LSU Athletics Announces Leadership Change in Football

lsusports.net

So SW did consult with the LSU Board of Supervisors and the interim president. So why would Kelly not have been officially terminated? Kelly was not reassigned so LSU is negotiating the terms of his separation. Nothing untoward about that. He could negotiate a smaller lump sum payment based on the time value of money, and he might be willing to take a reduced amount to buy his way out of the "duty to mitigate" clause in the contract and be free of any future communication with LSU.

But I fail to see how anyone will say Kelly was not officially fired. And if they are negotiating his buyout, that indicates he was not fired for cause because if fired for cause he is not owed a dime and there would be nothing to negotiate

 

[Nutriaitch]

But I fail to see how anyone will say Kelly was not officially fired.

agree.
unless there is some weird legal way of saying it isn't "official" yet.

And if they are negotiating his buyout, that indicates he was not fired for cause because if fired for cause he is not owed a dime and there would be nothing to negotiate

again, it's probably not that black and white.

whatever LSU thinks they have on Kelly likely falls into a gray area.
one of those "maybe we could win, maybe we would lose" if it goes to court.

so you try to negotiate. LSU pays less, Kelly still gets a fat check.
and nobody in the public finds out about any dirty little secrets about either side.

somewhere along the lines, those negotiations apparently fell apart.

 

[houtiger]

whatever LSU thinks they have on Kelly likely falls into a gray area.
one of those "maybe we could win, maybe we would lose" if it goes to court.

so you try to negotiate. LSU pays less, Kelly still gets a fat check.
and nobody in the public finds out about any dirty little secrets about either side.

Maybe they don't have anything. Maybe they are just stupid.

 

[Nutriaitch]

Maybe they don't have anything.

i’m going to assume the at least think they have something.

Maybe they are just stupid.

oh i’m sure that’s true no matter what else we find out.

 

[Herb]

I doubt seriously that the contract stipulates that the payout of what was owed to Kelly was due immediately in one lump sum. I'm pretty sure the guarantee was to be paid out over several years (like the 6 years that would have been left on his contract).

Kelly and his lawyers filed the lawsuit against LSU implying or claiming that LSU was trying to welch out on the balance and are pressing to have the full guaranteed amount paid out immediately.

It is almost universal that every coaching contract is structured in a way that the severance is paid out over years and if the fired coach gets another job, their new salary is deducted from the balance owed on the terminated contract. Ergo, this means that paying out the balance that is owed to Kelly in one immediate payment is not tenable as it would disallow LSU from being able to deduct any future salary of Kelly's from what the total amount owed at his termination.

I honestly think LSU is on firmer legal ground than Kelly here and because Kelly filed a lawsuit almost immediately after him being fired is a prime example of how much of a dick Brian Kelly is.

LSU has a right to try to negotiate a settlement and the email from Kelly to Woodward after he was fired states that Kelly was open to a settlement negotiation. He is now using the fact that LSU was trying to negotiate (which he agreed to) as some kind of proof that LSU was trying get out of paying Kelly what was "owed" to him.

The national sports media will use any excuse to piss on LSU and the State of Louisiana. Some of that is justified, but - much like many news stories - it's important to wait until all of the facts are out.

LSU had a lawsuit filed against them by Kelly...not the other way around. Reading some of the press on this makes it seem like it's the opposite.

 

[Nutriaitch]

Maybe they don't have anything.

i’m going to assume the at least think they have something.

Maybe they are just stupid.

oh i’m sure that’s true no matter what else

 

[houtiger]

 

[houtiger]

I honestly think LSU is on firmer legal ground than Kelly here and because Kelly filed a lawsuit almost immediately after him being fired is a prime example of how much of a dick Brian Kelly is.

LSU has a right to try to negotiate a settlement and the email from Kelly to Woodward after he was fired states that Kelly was open to a settlement negotiation. He is now using the fact that LSU was trying to negotiate (which he agreed to) as some kind of proof that LSU was trying get out of paying Kelly what was "owed" to him.

That is wrong.

"Nov. 10 - ESPN - In a legal filing against LSU's board of supervisors, Brian Kelly's attorneys say LSU has taken the position that it has not "formally terminated" Kelly as the Tigers' football coach.

The school, according to the petition for declaratory judgment, is now seeking to fire Kelly "for cause" and potentially avoid paying a full buyout of nearly $54 million. The filing claims that LSU informed Kelly's representatives of this position Monday.

According to a copy of the suit obtained by ESPN, "LSU's representatives had a call with Coach Kelly's representatives, where LSU took the position that Coach Kelly had not been formally terminated and informed Coach Kelly's representatives, for the very first time, that LSU believed grounds for termination for cause existed."

The 48-page lawsuit was filed in the 19th Judicial District for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (Louisiana) just hours after this call.

If LSU had "cause," then the school would no longer owe the full amount of the buyout.

Kelly, 64, was initially relieved of his duties Oct. 26, one day after LSU's 49-25 loss to Texas A&M dropped the Tigers to 5-3. At the time, his dismissal was said to be performance-related, with then-athletic director Scott Woodward saying in a statement, "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."

Kelly files suit, says LSU seeking 'for cause' firing

In a legal filing Monday, Brian Kelly's attorneys say LSU has taken the position that it has not "formally terminated" Kelly as the Tigers' football coach and is now seeking to fire him "for cause" and potentially avoid paying his full $54 million buyout.

www.espn.com

Kelly is not using the fact that LSU is trying to negotiate his buyout as proof LSU is trying to get out of what he is owed. Kelly is using the fact that LSU lawyers told his lawyers that he was not officially terminated on 10/26, and they now want to terminate him for cause, they think they have a "cause" that under the contract would mean they don't owe him a dime. LSU did not follow the procedure outlined in the contract to fire for cause. They did not notify Kelly in writing in a timely manner nor did they allow Kelly seven days to correct the issue. LSU is totally off base. So, Kelly has requested a declaratory judgment where he is formally informed exactly what LSU's position is, was he fired for cause (well after the firing, in violation of the contract), or for performance reasons as Woodward said when he was fired, in which case LSU owes BK the buyout.

 

[Nutriaitch]

LSU did not follow the procedure outlined in the contract to fire for cause. They did not notify Kelly in writing in a timely manner nor did they allow Kelly seven days to correct the issue. LSU is totally off base.

nowhere in his contract does it say the written notice has to be "in a timely manner" nor does it say anything anywhere about "7 days".

here is what it say about terminating "for cause" (it then lists definitions of "cause")

and here is what it says about firing without cause



then goes on to discuss specifics of buyouts, etc.

literally nowhere does it say anything about timeframe of the written notice.

 

[Herb]

That is wrong.

Kelly files suit, says LSU seeking 'for cause' firing

In a legal filing Monday, Brian Kelly's attorneys say LSU has taken the position that it has not "formally terminated" Kelly as the Tigers' football coach and is now seeking to fire him "for cause" and potentially avoid paying his full $54 million buyout.

www.espn.com

Kelly is not using the fact that LSU is trying to negotiate his buyout as proof LSU is trying to get out of what he is owed. Kelly is using the fact that LSU lawyers told his lawyers that he was not officially terminated on 10/26, and they now want to terminate him for cause, they think they have a "cause" that under the contract would mean they don't owe him a dime. LSU did not follow the procedure outlined in the contract to fire for cause. They did not notify Kelly in writing in a timely manner nor did they allow Kelly seven days to correct the issue. LSU is totally off base. So, Kelly has requested a declaratory judgment where he is formally informed exactly what LSU's position is, was he fired for cause (well after the firing, in violation of the contract), or for performance reasons as Woodward said when he was fired, in which case LSU owes BK the buyout.

Kelly and his attorneys filed these claims in court. The court will be the finders of fact once this actually goes before a judge and attorneys for both sides present their statements/evidence.

At this stage, only a filing is made and the reports are only based on what Kelly's lawyers are claiming LSU said/did/didn't do.

 

[houtiger]

then goes on to discuss specifics of buyouts, etc.

literally nowhere does it say anything about timeframe of the written notice.

That is not correct. I posted from BK's contract, in the thread the cost of firing him, page 4 post 70. To my knowledge, no written notice has been provided to BK, as his contract calls for in the "termination for cause" section. LSU has not followed the contract that they and BK agreed to.

 

[Nutriaitch]

That is not correct. I posted from BK's contract, in the thread the cost of firing him, page 4 post 70. To my knowledge, no written notice has been provided to BK, as his contract calls for in the "termination for cause" section. LSU has not followed the contract that they and BK agreed to.

View attachment 40

I stand corrected on the 7 day part of my post (that's what I get for skimming through too fast).

but like I said, nowhere in his contract does it say how fast LSU has to provide the termination "in writing"
the 7 day period starts from that moment, not from October 26.

now, what I don't know (a lawyer would likely have to answer), is what's considered standard practice for a termination where both sides have admitted to wanting to negotiate terms/details?

maybe the "in writing" part typically comes once an agreement is reached and everything is finalized.