While the school is neck deep in its search for a new head football coach, the school is still getting its ducks in a row in dismissing the old one.
Nearly a month after he coached his final game, on Friday LSU's board of supervisors authorized new president Wade Rousse to finally, formally terminate former head coach Brian Kelly, according to the New Orleans Times Picayune. LSU's board authorized Rousse to “in consultation with general counsel to review and, if appropriate, send Brian Kelly written notice of termination under his employment agreement," according to the paper.
Kelly was, of course, dismissed after his-then 20th-ranked Tigers were humiliated on national television in a 49-25 loss to No. 3 Texas A&M. The Tigers entered the second half of that game holding an 18-14 lead, and Kelly was essentially done as LSU's coach within 11 minutes of game time. The Aggies had taken a 35-18 lead by the 4:02 mark of the third quarter and it was evident the home team had no capacity or desire to fight back. Texas A&M eventually ballooned the lead to 49-18 as the Tiger Stadium stands emptied in the fourth quarter, and the score LSU added in the game's final minute was purely cosmetic.
Of course, Kelly's firing went well beyond a single game. LSU was ranked No. 3 as recently as Sept. 20, but losses to No. 13 Ole Miss and No. 17 Vanderbilt preceded the A&M game, which dropped the club to 5-3 on the season and 2-3 in SEC play. Hired to win a national championship, Kelly never put LSU in serious contention of a mere College Football Playoff berth in his three-and-a-half seasons on the job.
“Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize, and I made the decision to make a change after last night’s game," AD Scott Woodward informed Kelly on Oct. 26.
Louisiana governor Jeff Landry then held a bizarre conference that week in which he stated Woodward would not hire Kelly's successor, and within days Woodward was then dismissed by LSU. The Tigers then began playing games in an attempt to get out from under Kelly's reported $53 million buyout. In a legal filing, the school claimed Woodward, Kelly's direct supervisor, never had the authority to fire him.
Kelly's attorneys fired back in kind:
Coach Kelly's representatives informed LSU that Coach Kelly disagreed with each of LSU's new positions, including (i) the idea that he somehow had not been terminated, (ii) that the then-Athletics Director Woodward was not acting with authority (in a meeting attended by several LSU athletics officials, including the current Athletics Director Ausberry), and (iii) that there were any grounds for termination with cause (or that LSU could manufacture any such grounds after his termination), thus necessitating this action.
That move came after LSU reportedly attempted to settle with Kelly's camp for $25 and then $30 million. Once Kelly declined, LSU then tried to get out of paying Kelly's buyout altogether.
Friday's move is in indication that LSU is now prepared to move into its next chapter in an adult manner.