Kelly files suit, says LSU seeking 'for cause' firing

In a legal filing against LSU's Board of Supervisors, Brian Kelly's attorneys say LSU has taken the position that it has not "formally terminated" Kelly as the Tigers' football coach.

The school, according to the petition for declaratory judgement, is now seeking to fire Kelly "for cause" and potentially avoid paying a full buyout of nearly $54 million. The filing claims that LSU informed Kelly's representatives of this position on Monday.

According to a copy of the suit obtained by ESPN, "LSU's representatives had a call with Coach Kelly's representatives, where LSU took the position that Coach Kelly had not been formally terminated and informed Coach Kelly's representatives, for the very first time, that LSU believed grounds for termination for cause existed."

The 48-page lawsuit was filed in the 19th Judicial District for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (Louisiana) just hours after this call.

According to the filing, Kelly's lawyers are seeking "a declaratory judgment confirming that LSU's termination of Coach Kelly is without cause and that Coach Kelly is entitled to receive the full liquidated damages provided for in (his contract)."

If LSU did have "cause," then the school would no longer owe the full amount of the buyout.

Kelly, 64, was initially relieved of his duties on Oct. 26, one day after LSU's 49-25 loss to Texas A&M dropped the Tigers to 5-3. At the time, his dismissal was said to be performance-related, with then-athletic director Scott Woodward saying in a statement, "We had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge. Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize."

The suit does not specify who from LSU spoke to Kelly's representatives on Monday, or what behavior might constitute a "for cause" dismissal.

The suit does allege that LSU told Kelly's representatives on Monday that Woodward did not have "the authority to terminate Coach Kelly and/or make settlement offers to him" back in October and thus Kelly was never officially terminated.

The filing pushes back on three points that LSU brought up on the call:

"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."

Woodward departed under pressure four days after firing Kelly. That followed an Oct. 29 news conference during which Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry publicly criticized Woodward and said Woodward would not be involved in hiring the next football coach.

"Right now, we've got a $53 million liability. We are not doing that again," Landry told reporters at the time -- comments that are referenced in the lawsuit.

Kelly's contract with LSU includes a "for-cause" termination clause that allows for his firing due to "material and substantial [NCAA] rule violations," being convicted of a felony or "any crime involving gambling, drugs, or alcohol," "engaging in serious misconduct which either displays a continual, serious disrespect ... for the mission of LSU," or "constitutes moral turpitude."

"LSU has never claimed that Coach Kelly was terminated for cause and, prior to November 10, 2025, never asserted that he engaged in any conduct that would warrant such a termination," the lawsuit reads. "To the contrary, LSU repeatedly confirmed, both publicly and to Coach Kelly, that the termination was due to the Team's performance, not for cause."

The lawsuit goes to great length to detail the process of "for cause" and how LSU would have had to inform Kelly of that within a seven-day period. Kelly would then have seven days to respond. The suit says that never occurred.

It also details that LSU attempted to settle with Kelly multiple times, including an e-mail that details offers from LSU to settle with Kelly for $25 million and then later $30 million. The e-mail, which is part of the filing, says the $30 million dollar offer would have come in two installments, and included the elimination of mitigation and offset provisions. Kelly did not agree to either.

Kelly came to LSU from Notre Dame in 2022 and went 34-14 overall.

When reached by ESPN, a spokesperson for LSU said the school did not have any comment at this time.