Former LSU head coach Brian Kelly remains locked in a legal battle with the school over the circumstances of his firing.
Kelly has accused LSU of not formally terminating him and alleged that the school is looking for a reason to fire him with cause in order to avoid paying his buyout. In a new letter to the school, Kelly’s attorneys have suggested that the school’s stance is making it “nearly impossible” to find a new job.
“As you know, there is absolutely no basis to LSU’s contrived positions that Coach Kelly was not terminated or that cause existed for such termination,” the letter said, via Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel of ESPN. “LSU’s conduct, including its failure to confirm that Coach Kelly was terminated without cause and its unsupported allegations of misconduct on the part of Coach Kelly, has made it nearly impossible for Coach Kelly to secure other football-related employment.”
LSU’s board of supervisors voted on Friday to allow school president Wade Rousse to formally terminate Kelly, though it was not clear whether the school would try to do so for cause or not.
Public reports indicated that Kelly was let go on Oct. 26 for performance-related reasons. If Kelly were fired without cause, the school would owe him roughly $53 million, which is the major issue at the center of all this haggling.
Kelly’s name has not come up in connection with any open head coaching jobs since his dismissal, though oddsmakers have made their share of predictions. Whether that is because of the haggling with LSU or for other reasons is a matter of dispute. Kelly’s reputation has undoubtedly been harmed by his tenure with the Tigers, but he still has a lifetime record of 297-109-2 and an extensive track record of success.
