LSU Still Stuck With Brian Kelly Liability Despite Former HC Landing New Job

Brian Kelly has surprised the college football world with a very ‘non Brian-Kelly’-esque move. The former head coach accepted a role as an unpaid analyst for the Memphis Tigers, leading many folks to assume that LSU would finally be relieved of the financial burden of paying his $54 million buyout. Unfortunately for the Bayou Tigers, this clever career move won’t change a single thing. Brian Kelly is playing the game of ‘two steps ahead’.

Even though Brian Kelly took a new football job that pays absolutely nothing, it doesn’t save the university a single cent. Because his new salary is exactly zero dollars, there is no money to subtract from the debt LSU owes him. It sounds crazy, but it all comes down to the strict legal wording in the contract LSU originally signed.

When elite college coaches get fired, their contracts usually include a rule called a “duty to mitigate.” This just means the coach has to make an honest effort to find a new job in football. If they get hired and start making money, their old school can subtract that new salary from the buyout money. For example, if a coach gets a new job making $4 million a year, their old school gets a $4 million “discount”.

But, Kelly officially took a job as an unpaid football consultant at Memphis, which fulfills his ‘good-faith efforts’ requirement to look for work. However, because LSU doesn’t have a0 minimum salary requirement in the original contract, working for free is completely allowed.

Notably, University officials and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry initially attempted a hardball tactic, hinting they might fire Kelly “with cause” for misconduct to wipe out the debt entirely. They apparently even attempted to offer smaller, lump-sum settlements of $25 million and $30 million.

Kelly’s team, instead, fired back with a legal filing. They argued that LSU’s conduct was hurting Kelly’s career. Ultimately, LSU officially signed a binding settlement confirming Kelly was fired without any cause whatsoever.

And now, the program is stuck making some of the most painful monthly payments in sports history. Every single month until December 2031, the university has to wire Kelly roughly $750,000.

So, currently Kelly gets to stay involved in college football while getting every single penny of his historic $54 million buyout.

However, at the same time, Brian Kelly will not be inside first-year head coach Charles Huff’s circle.

Brian Kelly looking from the outside in?

First-year head coach Charles Huff said he will talk to Kelly more toward the end of the season, when Memphis focuses on recruiting and building its 2027 team through the transfer portal.

It is interesting that Huff is not planning to lean on Brian Kelly during the season. Their goal is to bring in strong talent and move up to the Power 4 level. Huff also said Kelly has been humble and helpful in their conversations.

Needless to say, Kelly is clearly trying to stay involved and rebuild his image for a potential future return to coaching.

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