Brian Kelly sues LSU, claiming his dismissal was not “for cause” and seeking to recover his full $54 million buyout.
In a dramatic legal move, former LSU head coach Brian Kelly has filed a lawsuit against the LSU Board of Directors, accusing the university of falsely claiming he was dismissed “for cause” after his release in October 2025.
Kelly, who signed a $95 million, ten-year contract with LSU in 2022, was fired on October 26 after the Tigers suffered a third consecutive loss to Texas A&M, falling to a 5-3 season record. At the time, then-athletic director Scott Woodward stated that Kelly’s firing was due to a lack of success at the level demanded by LSU.
However, according to Kelly’s lawsuit, filed Monday, LSU is now claiming the termination was “for cause” — a move that would allow the school to avoid paying his full $54 million buyout. The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment confirming that Kelly’s termination was not “for cause” and that he is entitled to the full buyout as outlined in his contract.
In the court filing, Kelly’s attorneys argue that LSU’s sudden position change was communicated to Kelly for the first time on Monday, November 6, after which the legal battle began. The lawsuit claims LSU has failed to specify what behavior or conduct on Kelly’s part warranted a “for cause” dismissal.
“We have not been informed of any specific behavior that would justify a ‘for cause’ firing,” the lawsuit reads. “LSU has not claimed, nor could they, that Coach Kelly violated any terms of his contract that would allow for such a dismissal.”
The filing emphasizes that for a “for cause” firing to be valid, it must involve violations of NCAA rules, felony convictions, or misconduct detrimental to the brand of LSU — not simply poor performance on the field.
Kelly’s contract included a “for-cause termination clause,” but this can only be invoked if certain severe conditions are met. In his lawsuit, Kelly’s legal team contends that LSU’s own statements and public communications have repeatedly acknowledged the firing was related solely to performance issues, not misconduct.
