Home / Sports / Coaching Carousel Chaos: LSU Faces Lawsuit Over Brian Kelly's Firing
Coaching Carousel Chaos: LSU Faces Lawsuit Over Brian Kelly's Firing
12 Nov
Summary
- LSU faces lawsuit from Brian Kelly over his firing, claims he was not actually fired
- Schools struggle to fire coaches for cause and avoid buyouts, with mixed success
- USC's Lincoln Riley dismisses rumors about his future, says he's committed to the Trojans
On November 12, 2025, the college football coaching carousel took an unexpected turn as a lawsuit revealed LSU's apparent attempt to get out of Brian Kelly's $53 million buyout. Kelly sued the school's Board of Supervisors, claiming he was told he had not actually been fired the previous week and that there may be grounds to fire him for cause, which would eliminate the buyout.
Industry sources have expressed skepticism about LSU's move, noting the school's public comments had attributed Kelly's firing to on-field results. Any attempts to retroactively cite something else, especially after multiple LSU employees made Kelly settlement offers, are seen as unlikely to succeed.
Elsewhere, USC's Lincoln Riley has brushed aside chatter about his future, saying, "You guys know what I sacrificed to come here. I'm where I need to be." Riley, who was the first coach in 75 years to leave Oklahoma for another college job, has been linked to various openings, but appears committed to rebuilding the Trojans.
In a surprising twist, a Division III program, Wisconsin-River Falls, is making waves with its record-breaking offense. Coordinator Joe Matheson has implemented a unique "Top Gun" offense that is averaging nearly 600 yards per game, led by quarterback Kaleb Blaha's 416.8 total yards per game.
