Firing a college football coach is expensive. Just ask Texas A&M. Last year, the Aggies paid over $75 million to get rid of Jimbo Fisher.
In 2021, LSU paid $16.9 million to Ed Orgeron on his way out the door.
It’s the age of mega contracts. When it costs $100 million to hire a guy, it’s going to cost a lot to fire him. Most of that money is coming out, whether he wins or not. Fans and athletic administrations aren’t very patient these days and are often willing to part with large sums of money to move on.
At LSU, Brian Kelly isn’t on the hot seat. He’s in no danger of getting fired this year — nor should he be. It’s been a rough three weeks, but his body of work warrants more time.
Financially, it also wouldn’t make sense. Yes, I just talked about fanbases willing to pay up to fire a coach. Sometimes it works out, but given the uncertainty surrounding college football finances, it’s not the best time for LSU to pay $60.8 million to fire a coach coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons.
Here’s more info on how Kelly’s buyout breaks down in the coming years.
| Year | Buyout Amount |
|---|---|
| November 2024 | $60.8 million |
| November 2025 | $51.7 million |
| November 2026 | $42.5 million |
| November 2027 | $33.1 million |
| November 2028 | $23.4 million |
| November 2029 | $13.5 million |
It remains over $50 million until 2026 when it drops to $42.5 million. But again, I don’t even think the conversation about firing Kelly is worth having right now.
