If the 2025 college football season has taught us anything, it’s that Power Five conference programs won’t hesitate to fire their head coaches. In the past week, we saw James Franklin get dismissed after Penn State’s three-game skid, and earlier today in the SEC, the Florida Gators parted ways with Billy Napier, even after a win over the weekend. The point is, college football head coaching jobs are as unpredictable as it gets. With the current firing frenzy, college football insiders say the man down in Baton Rouge with a $53 million buyout could be next in line.

On October 19th, College football insiders like Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, Andy Staples, and Steven Godfrey hopped onto ‘College Football Enquirer’ podcast and weighed in on LSU’s hot-seat situation. Ross Dellenger kicked off the discussion, saying, “It’s hot down there in the bayou, yes, sir. And I wonder, I do sort of wonder how this unfolds, because I think it is getting to the point that we’re seeing sort of the fan base just sort of leap off the ones that we’re holding on, sort of get off, kind of like in Gainesville.” According to Ross Dellenger, Brian Kelly is on a career trajectory similar to Billy Napier; their situations resemble each other.

Brian Kelly is just a bit more winning version of Billy Napier. Brian Kelly’s grace period ended back in 2023, and while LSU gave him the benefit of the doubt for 2024, citing budget limitations to stay competitive, the program went all-in for 2025. LSU spent an estimated $18–25 million in the transfer portal, bringing in players like AJ Haulcy, Mansoor Delaney, and Barion Brown. Kelly himself called this the best roster of his LSU tenure.

Despite all that, LSU Tigers are diabolically underperforming and are 5-2 now. but their 2-2 SEC record and recent slip in the polls – falling to 20th in the AP after being ranked 10th–have fans raising an eyebrow. They’ve dropped games against Ole Miss and, more recently, Vanderbilt, which is a bit of a head-scratcher for a program with championship aspirations.

Ross Dellenger questioned their pre-season hype and how the team was supposed to be a 13-0 team with all the surrounding talent. Fans are frustrated with Kelly, feeling the team isn’t living up to its talent and the massive investments in NIL deals. Looking ahead, LSU still has a mathematical shot at the College Football Playoff, but their schedule is brutal. Andy Staples noted, “They play Texas A&M this week. They have an open date and then they play Alabama. They have to win both games to stay mathematically alive. And I just don’t see how LSU beats them.” Another loss could effectively end their playoff hopes.

Stephen Godfrey believes LSU would not hesitate to pay Brian Kelly’s $53 million buyout. He explained that the environment for head coaches has dramatically changed in terms of buyouts and job security. “The mega buyout concept of people thinking they were going to swallow a Jimboized pill… things have changed dramatically. They have changed, I would say, alarmingly,” Godfrey said, showing how much uncertainty and pressure there is in the sport right now. College football programs have shifted from being cautious with money to spending heavily on coaches to stay competitive. Even top programs in Baton Rouge and Tallahassee (Florida State) are under intense pressure, and no one is guaranteed job security.

Brian Kelly’s $53 million buyout

Brian Kelly is one of the highest-paid coaches in college football, earning $10.175 million in 2025, making him the eighth-highest paid overall. Only three SEC coaches — Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, and Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer — make more than him. If LSU were to fire Kelly without cause, the school would owe him over $53 million by December 1, 2025, showing the financial stakes involved.

While Kelly’s record in Baton Rouge — 34 wins and 13 losses (.723) midway through his fourth season — looks solid on paper, he has yet to guide LSU to a College Football Playoff appearance. This year’s team came into the season with high expectations, especially Garrett Nussmeier, who was considered a top Heisman Trophy contender.

However, Nussmeier is failed to cash in on pre-season hype, and the offense hasn’t been consistently putting points on the board, especially when it matters in the red zone. The defense, which normally holds its own, got exposed a little against Vandy, giving up more points than any other opponent this year. Brian Kelly even got caught on the sidelines scolding Nussmeier after an interception, which tells you the end times are nearing for LSU.