Brian Kelly's messy breakup with LSU just took a turn toward the courtroom.
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The former Tigers head coach filed a 48-page lawsuit against the university this week, claiming LSU still hasn't "formally terminated" him despite firing him last month — and is now trying to build a case to fire him with cause to avoid paying his $53 million buyout.
Kelly's attorneys say the school informed them for the first time during a recent call that it believes "grounds for termination for cause exist." The suit, filed in East Baton Rouge Parish, asks for a declaratory judgment confirming that Kelly was fired without cause and is therefore owed the full amount his contract guaranteed.
LSU dismissed Kelly on Oct. 26, one day after a 49-25 home loss to Texas A&M. At the time, the school said it would "continue to negotiate" his separation, but those talks appear to have deteriorated quickly. According to emails included in the filing, LSU offered Kelly settlements of $25 million and later $30 million — both of which he declined.
The lawsuit also alleges that then-athletic director Scott Woodward may not have had the authority to fire Kelly or negotiate a buyout in the first place.
Woodward and LSU parted ways soon after, following a bizarre press conference where Louisiana's governor publicly threw the AD under the bus.
Kelly went 34-14 in three seasons at LSU, never winning fewer than nine games but never reaching the College Football Playoff. His tenure ended with the Tigers trending downward and a fan base that had clearly lost faith.
