Brian Kelly might be relieved to know he isn’t the only LSU coach who endured a messy exit. The pattern goes way back. As former head coach Mike Archer shared his unpleasant experience with the program, all unfolding on a random Wednesday. What he shared next on the Jacques Doucet show proves just how deep the dysfunction ran.

Mike Archer coached LSU from 1987 to 1990 under athletic director Joe Dean, and for years, his weekly rhythm never changed. Reporters only came on Tuesdays and Fridays before game day. So when the entire media crew suddenly showed up on a Wednesday, Archer instantly knew something was off.

“We’re at practice on Wednesday, and Herb Vincent comes out to the practice field, and I’m up in the tower, and I come down, I go, ‘Herb, what’s going on?'” Archer said. “He goes, well, I got to talk to you about that. I think it was Channel 2, that has broken a story that Joe Dean has already put a search committee together to find your successor.”

Archer then learned from further reports that a search committee had already been formed to identify his successor. His own firing blindsided him when the cameras showed up. Naturally, that strained his relationship with the program, and by November 1990, as his exit became official, Archer openly criticized LSU’s handling of the situation, saying, “Unfortunately, this university, in the eyes of a lot of people in this country right now, and the way things are handled here is a joke.”

Joe Dean kept the news from the very person getting fired speaks volumes about the program’s culture. Archer kept trying to reach Dean for clarity, but nothing seemed to work. “I went over to the stadium, and I tried to call Joe four or five times,” he said. When it was finally time to rip the band-aid off, Dean was so nervous about the reaction that he kept security in his office while he called Archer. “I’m going to make it really easy for you,” Archer said to Joe Dean. “I said, we’re going to announce tomorrow after practice that I’m going to step down.”

The coach took that decision so that Dean would honour his contract. This is the same person who took over the Tigers from Bill Arnsparger and landed the job over names like Steve Spurrier and Mack Brown. Mike Archer’s first season was nothing short of spectacular: LSU put together a 10-1-1 record. They ranked No. 5 in both major polls and came heartbreakingly close to a berth in the Sugar Bowl. They missed out on Auburn by the slimmest of margins after a single loss to Alabama. That 1987 campaign was their first 10-win season in a quarter-century. The momentum rolled into 1988, as Archer’s Tigers finished 8-4.

They claimed a share of the SEC title and pulled off the iconic “Earthquake Game” win over Auburn. Even after splitting the SEC crown, poll rankings sent Auburn to the Sugar Bowl and pushed LSU into the Hall of Fame Bowl. Archer’s luck soured after that. The next two seasons, 1989 and 1990, saw the Tigers tumble to back-to-back losing records. They finished 9-13 combined and dropped to the bottom tier of the SEC standings. Pressure kept building, and after losing four of his last five games, beating only Tulane. LSU pushed Archer out in 1990.

The pressure and instability were too much. Archer said, “What I did is in the best interest of the football team. It’s in my best interest. I need to get on with my life. They need to get on with theirs.” After that stance, Joe Dean surely held the end of his bargain. Dean said LSU will still honor Archer’s contract, which has two years left at $88,400 a year.

Brian Kelly’s exit just keeps getting worse

Brian Kelly’s split from LSU has taken a legal turn over a massive $54 million buyout. The drama escalated when Kelly filed a detailed 48-page lawsuit against LSU’s Board. It all started after Kelly received a bizarre phone call just days following his public dismissal on October 26, 2025, which blindsided both him and his legal team. LSU suddenly claimed Kelly was never “formally terminated” on that date, which created major uncertainty about the official status of his firing.​

Even more surprising, LSU pointed out that there were reasons to fire Kelly “for cause.” This claim is critical because it could allow LSU to avoid paying the full $53.7 million buyout. Being fired “for cause” typically means the coach engaged in misconduct or failed to fulfill contract obligations. Yet, Kelly’s attorneys push back hard. They stated that LSU never previously accused Kelly of any such conduct before November 10, 2025.

And that firing was completely performance-based. The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment confirming Kelly’s dismissal was due to performance. And it was the same that LSU’s athletic director Scott Woodward indicated publicly at the time. Woodward emphasized that Kelly’s 34-14 record over three-plus seasons was solid but ultimately insufficient because Kelly never delivered a College Football Playoff appearance.