Three weeks ago, LSU were close to the top of the SEC standings having won six games on the trot. Head Coach Brian Kelly was the personification of calmness and things were going in the right direction. But the defeat to the Florida Gators yesterday, was their third in a row, while Kelly was seen yelling at a player and then getting yelled at by another, as the Tigers went out of the College Football Playoff and SEC Championship Game contention with a whimper.

This result does put Kelly’s future at LSU under the scanner but it won’t be easy for the Tigers to part ways with him. Apart from leading the program to back-to-back 10-win seasons in his first years as HC, Kelly’s bumper contract could create hindrance if the program wishes to make a change.

College football analyst Adam Breneman brought up how some massive contract buyouts would mean certain coaches would retain their positions in 2025. After discussing Billy Napier of the Gators and Florida State’s Mike Norvell, he mentioned Brian Kelly. “He has a deal that was worth a guaranteed $95 million, making it one of the significant contracts in college football history.”

Kelly is in the third year of his 10-year $95 million deal, and according to his contract, firing him this year would cost LSU approximately $61 million. Kelly’s salary goes up each season he is the head coach at LSU. In the 2022 season, his base salary was $9 million, and this season, he’ll pull in $9.2 million, per the contract. He made $9.975 million last year, including bonuses.

While he is the fourth-highest-paid coach in college football, he has the second-highest payout among his peers, which makes it challenging for the program to make a quick change. But Breneman was quick to remind, “Kelly has had the best year out of the three coaches on this list with a 6-3 record, but we know they don’t tolerate an average performance in Baton Rouge.” 

A successful track record is no guarantee of job safety at LSU. Just ask the former coach Ed Orgeron. LSU decided to part ways with Orgeron in 2021 and agreed to pay the remaining $16.95 million left on his contract. Only two years earlier, he led them to a 15-0 record and the national championship, but the next two seasons performances dipped and he was let go.

So Breneman is right that the average doesn’t fly in Death Valley. So does Kelly have reason to worry? According to Breneman, he may be safe for another season, but if things don’t improve they might make a decision. “Will LSU move on from Kelly? I don’t believe so. But next year, if it is not better, they certainly will when that buyout lowers just a little bit.”

It would make sense for LSU to wait at least another year. In October, Kelly had a 24-8 record, which now stands at 25-11, not what he would have liked, but not so bad that he has to worry about his immediate future. With the 27-16 loss to the Gators, Kelly’s streak of seven 10-win seasons will come to an end. While the coach would not be pleased with that, the bigger concern for him would be whether he still has the locker room behind him.

During the loss against the Gators, signs of frustration and disharmony were clear in the Tigers camp. In the first half, Kelly got into wide receiver  Chris Hilton’s face, telling him off. Later in the third quarter, cameras caught receiver Kyren Lacy yelling at Kelly on the sideline after an empty possession. The HC was taken by surprise by this and the cameras quickly cut away from the action.

Speaking after the loss, Kelly said, “This is a simple exercise of do you want to fight or not? Do you want to fight and take responsibility as coaches and players that we’re not playing well and we’re struggling right now?” There is no doubt that pressure is mounting on Kelly and a win is needed to quieten the noises around his position, with fans calling for his head.

LSU Tigers head coach feels the heat after third successive defeat

The calls for Brian Kelly’s head started immediately after the loss against Alabama and they only intensified after the Gators humbling. Kelly’s tactics came under fire as the team failed to protect quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who was sacked seven times.

Given the expanded playoff field of 12 this year, the LSU fans were disappointed after their team’s fate was sealed. On social media, posts such as “Fire Brian Kelly,” and “Pay the buyout” indicate the sentiment of the fanbase at the moment.

Kelly had asked the LSU fans to judge him by the end of his third year and it seemed right since he had gone a combined 33-5 in his third seasons at Notre Dame, Cincinnati, and Central Michigan. But in his third season at LSU, things haven’t turned out as he expected. In fact, some of the shortcomings still remain from the day he arrived.

The defense in particular continues to have problems and they only had success in that area against lesser teams. Kelly will have a lot to do in the offseason to build a side capable of going the distance in 2025. His future at the moment might be safe, but things can take a drastic turn if the fortunes aren’t reversed next year.