Two weeks after Brian Kelly’s firing, the LSU Tigers and their former coach are still locked in a tense standoff. The university tried to strike a middle ground at Kelly’s request. But the ex-head coach wasn’t biting. Sources say he’s already rejected two settlement offers, with his attorneys now setting a hard deadline for LSU. With a 10-year, $95 million contract guaranteeing 90% of his remaining pay, there lies a real question. What kind of offers were bold enough for Kelly to turn down?

On November 10, Front Office Sports tweeted, “Brian Kelly’s lawyers have told LSU he wants his full $53M buyout, the second-largest in college football history. Kelly rejected two separate settlement offers of $25M and $30M, per @theadvocateno.” Turns out, LSU tried to make it easy for Kelly to walk away. 

According to The Baton Rouge Advocate, Scott Woodward slid a $25 million lump-sum offer across the table on firing day. He even offered to drop the clause that would cut his cash if he coached elsewhere. Kelly, however, wasn’t having it. After Woodward was fired, LSU executive deputy athletic director Julie Cromer took charge of the matter to put the Tigers’ squad at ease. He increased the settlement offer for Kelly to $30 million in two payments, according to the documents. But that too got rejected, and now Kelly’s attorneys have hit LSU with an ultimatum. 

In a letter dated Nov. 5 to new athletic director Verge Ausberry and LSU Board member John Carmouche, Kelly’s attorneys drew a clear line in the sand. They demanded a written confirmation by 6 p.m. ET on Monday that the school will “fulfill its contractual obligation” to pay Kelly the “full liquidated damages.” However, wasn’t Kelly the one who offered to meet LSU midway?

Five days back, on November 5, the ex-head coach had penned down his farewell note. It read, “As we discussed in our meeting, I’m open to your desire to reach a settlement of what’s owed to me under the contract, although of course it would have to make sense financially.” But what’s the ground on which Kelly’s attorneys are fighting for a full and final settlement?

Here’s where it gets pricey for LSU. Kelly’s deal runs through 2031, and his buyout’s supposed to be paid monthly until then. His lawyers say that the school fired him “without cause.” So, he’s still owed 90% of everything left on that massive contract. Kelly still hasn’t seen the offer he’s asking for, but that hasn’t stopped his name from echoing around Baton Rouge days after his firing.

The booster who spoke the truth about Brian Kelly’s firing

LSU booster Gordon McKernan has known the Tigers’ program in and out. The powerhouse attorney holding a net worth of $50 million has been the man behind improving Louisiana’s sports scene. Having huge contributions in the NIL landscape, he has struck a close bond with the players. After interacting with a few of them, McKernan shared how Kelly’s firing has been inevitable.

“He wasn’t as committed. My players, at least, were telling the guys on my team, were telling me, I don’t really know him, he doesn’t spend time with us,” shared the LSU booster. Culture issues aside, Kelly was dragged through the mud for how the Tigers struggled against Alabama even days after he was forced to hang up his boots.

The Alabama Crimson Tide suffocated the Tigers. They allowed only 13 first downs and 232 yards while cruising to their eighth win in a row. That’s 17 straight at home now, the longest streak in the country. And even with just 344 total yards, Bama made every big play count. It was time for a veteran to pull Kelly into the conversation. 

On the Nightcap podcast, Chad “Ocho” Johnson shared, “It was sort of a snoozefest in a sense when no one was able to score. You know, in the first half, it was going back and forth. But then, once things opened up, Alabama ran the show.  I mean, for a team like LSU to only score nine points, only score nine points in a four-quarter game, let you know why Mr. Kelly was fired.” Brian Kelly may win the financial battle with LSU, but the war for his image? That’s still up for grabs.