BATON ROUGE — After nearly four seasons, LSU has fired head coach Brian Kelly, the school announced in the following press release.
LSU Athletics has made the decision to separate with football head coach Brian Kelly effective immediately, Director of Athletics Scott Woodward announced Sunday.
Terms of the separation are still being negotiated.
“When Coach Kelly arrived at LSU four years ago, we had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge,” Woodward said. “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. I am grateful for the ongoing consultations and support of the LSU Board of Supervisors and Interim President Matt Lee in this decision. We wish Coach Kelly and his family the very best in their future endeavors. We will continue to negotiate his separation and will work toward a path that is better for both parties.”
The Tigers fell to 5-3 this season and 2-3 in SEC play following a home loss to No. 3 Texas A&M on Saturday night.
LSU was 34-14 across four seasons with Kelly at the helm, including a 19-10 mark against SEC competition, and won three straight bowl games. The Tigers made their lone SEC Championship game appearance under Kelly in his first season in 2022. In 2023, they were led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick.
Kelly is the winningest active coach in NCAA Football with 323 career victories. He amassed a 23-3 record in Tiger Stadium, including a 20-2 mark in night games in Death Valley.
Associate head coach/running backs coach Frank Wilson will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025 season.
“As a proud alum, and as the current caretaker of our athletics programs, I will not compromise in our pursuit of excellence and we will not lower our standards,” Woodward said. “I continue to believe that LSU is the best football program in America and that our head coach position is among the best considering our investment, our ability to attract and retain talent, our unbelievable fans, and our institutional and statewide commitment to – and love for – LSU Football. We will immediately begin a national search for a new head football coach, and I am confident in our ability to bring to Baton Rouge an outstanding leader, teacher and coach, who fits our culture and community and who embraces the excellence that we demand.
“While there will certainly be speculation and reports on candidates and the process, together we will celebrate and welcome a new coach at the appropriate time. I urge all in the LSU community to continue to support our student-athletes and coaches as they compete the rest of the season.”
This all comes on the heels of the Tigers 49-25 loss to No. 3 Texas A&M on Saturday in Tiger Stadium. The Bayou Bengals have started the year 5-3 overall and 2-3 in SEC play.
Kelly finishes his tenure in Baton Rouge with a 34-13 overall record and 5-11 against ranked opponents.
The 64-year old is owed just over $54 million in buyout money from the remainder of his 10-year, $95 million contract.
The Kelly era was filled with disappointing moments, including three straight season openers against Florida State (2) and USC. His inaugural season saw the Tigers reach the SEC championship game before suffering a 50-30 loss to the soon-to-be national champion Georgia Bulldogs.
2023 saw LSU lose two pivotal conference games to Ole Miss and Alabama, crushing their College Football Playoff dreams once again. Then defensive coordinator Matt House was fired.
Last year, the Bayou Bengals entered late October with chances again to qualify for the CFP but suffered consecutive losses to Texas A&M, Alabama, and Florida.
Associate head coach and running backs coach Frank Wilson will serve as the interim head coach. Wilson holds experience as a head coach at a pair of schools, UTSA (2016–2019) and McNeese State (2020-2021).
LSU will have an open date this weekend and returns to action on Nov. 8 at No. 4 Alabama.
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