LSU fired head coach Brian Kelly following an embarrassing loss to Texas A&M on Saturday night, and a heated meeting between Kelly and athletic director Scott Woodward reportedly factored into the timing of the move.
In a news release on Sunday night, LSU confirmed that Kelly has been dismissed by the school and that the two sides “will continue to negotiate his separation.” Kelly has a $53 million buyout, though his contract is structured in a way that would give LSU relief if the 64-year-old were to land another job.
According to a story that was published by Bruce Feldman and Ralph D. Russo of The Athletic, Kelly and Woodward had a “very tense” meeting on Sunday afternoon. Woodward told Kelly he wanted the coach to make staff changes, the most notable of which was to fire offensive coordinator Joe Sloan. Kelly instead suggested making other staff moves that Woodward did not support, at which point “the situation escalated.”
The Athletic reports that there were also “threats about negotiating a settlement of Kelly’s $53 million buyout,” though it is unclear if Woodward had been granted the power to do so by the LSU Board of Supervisors.
Kelly likely knew he was going to be fired once the meeting ended. On Monday morning, LSU announced that Sloan has been relieved of his duties as well.
LSU was ranked No. 3 in the nation four weeks into the season but has gone 2-3 since in SEC play. The Tigers have had a decent defense, but their offense has been one of the worst in the country. Kelly went off on a reporter early in the year for raising concerns about the offense, which was not a good look for the coach.
Fans had made it clear that they wanted Kelly out, and it was only a matter of time before they got their wish. Kelly’s meeting with Woodward may have helped accelerate the process.
