Brian Kelly’s era has finally ended at LSU, and interim head coach Frank Wilson has the reins now, temporarily. However, Kelly’s firing wasn’t without its drama. It involved right from Kelly vehemently resisting the firing, along with the Governor himself stepping in to make sure it happened. Not to mention, a pricey, $54 million buyout followed. But even then, Kelly seems not to let go of LSU easily.

Kelly took to X and posted a lengthy farewell message for LSU fans and recounted his achievements at his helm. “I will remember and appreciate what we did accomplish. All of the exceptional student-athletes I had the privilege to coach. A Heisman Trophy winner and more than a dozen Tigers playing on Sundays,” wrote Kelly. It’s almost like the former LSU head coach is trying to make a case for himself.

Kelly was hired in the 2021 season on a whopping $95 million 10-year deal. The goal was simple. LSU wanted to win the SEC championship and national title, and Brian Kelly had a good showing with Notre Dame (113-40 record). However, in his 4 seasons, Kelly went 34-14 and 19-10 in SEC play. Despite producing three straight, 9+ win seasons, the silverware cabinet was still empty, and the final blow came in the 2025 season against Texas A&M. But Kelly still chose to highlight his achievements in his farewell message.

“39 players earned SEC Academic Honor Roll honors in 2024 alone. My daughter and son are earning advanced degrees from LSU, and a third who began his career working at the University. The roar of Death Valley when we beat Alabama. The losses will always hurt, but I will remember all of the wins….This journey may have ended, but it’s a journey that will stay with me and my family forever,” wrote Kelly.

Under Kelly, LSU didn’t make the playoffs in the 2023 season, with a 10 win season. But Kelly still oversaw Jayden Daniels’ win of the Heisman trophy, which was LSU’s third ever. Moreover, the former LSU head coach had his moments, too. For instance, Kelly opened his season on a strong note against Clemson and Florida. And also defeated Nick Saban’s Alabama in 2022. But at the end of the day, a blueblood like LSU aspires to win titles. That’s exactly what was lacking in Kelly’s tenure. Moreover, Kelly wasn’t even a good fit for LSU to begin with.

Governor Jeff Landry opens up on his involvement in Kelly’s firing

Kelly, in just his introduction speech, employed a fake southern accent that didn’t sit well with LSU fans. Then the head coach fired a longtime LSU loyal, Tommy Moffitt, who had helped LSU win the 2019 national title. Along with that, accusations followed about the former LSU head coach’s poor treatment of injured DB Matthew Langlois. But for Kelly, rumors circled that the final nail in the coffin was put by Louisiana’s governor, Jeff Landry. Not just that, Landry went nuclear on AD Scott Woodward for hiring Kelly.

“Hell, I’ll let Donald Trump select it before I let him do it,” said Jeff Landry about refusing to keep the AD around at LSU. Soon enough, Woodward was fired, and politics started all over it. But now, the governor himself has denied a major role in Kelly’s firing. “Well, by the time I got involved, Brian Kelly was fired,” said Landry. For the Governor, the primary concern was the massive buyout, which, according to him, taxpayers would have to pay.

“People are like, oh, no, we’re never going to pay for it… the taxpayer never has to pay for it…But… they had literally raised the ticket prices the day before the Texas A&M game,” said Landry. The fallout of Kelly from the Governor’s good graces was public, and Landry even trolled LSU for the higher ticket prices. In reality, according to reports, Woodward was the one who fired Kelly unilaterally.

According to CBS Sports, Woodward had unilaterally made the decision, which infuriated Landry. It was also notable since no consultations from the Board of Supervisors were taken. Only after the news became public, Landry reportedly got involved owing to the whopping $54 million buyout and how the program would afford it. All in all, for now, Kelly seems to be grasping at straws as he even urged for an open buyout settlement. The negotiations of Kelly’s buyout and the ways to pay it are currently being explored as per ON3.