NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Brian Kelly made his first public comments since being fired as LSU’s football coach.
It was less than two weeks ago when LSU made the move, parting ways with Kelly despite six seasons remaining on the 10-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Tigers.
But there is no bad blood. He said he will root for interim head coach Frank Wilson on Saturday when the Tigers face No. 4 Alabama.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
LSU head coach Brian Kelly in the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, SC on August 30, 2025. (Ken Ruinard/USA Today Network South Carolina/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“This journey began with high expectations with my own vision of how to get there,” Kelly said in a statement he posted on X. “Sometimes the journey doesn’t end the way we hope.
“But when I think about our time together, I want to remember and cherish what we accomplished. All the exceptional student-athletes I had the privilege of coaching. A Heisman Trophy winner and more than a dozen Tigers playing on Sundays, 39 players who earned SEC Academic Honor Roll honors in 2024 alone. My daughter and son started at LSUs alone, and my daughter and son started at LSUs. university.”
LSU INTERIM AD SHUTS OFF NICK SABAN COACHING RUMOR: ‘NOT GOING TO HAPPEN’
Kelly’s departure came after No. 3 Texas A&M blasted LSU 49-25. The Tigers are now 5-3 overall and 2-3 in SEC play. Kelly left the program with a 34-14 record.
“The losses will always hurt, but I will remember all the wins,” he wrote. “I don’t need to tell any of you how special Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium are. I’m honored to have worn the purple and gold and been a part of it.”
LSU head coach Brian Kelly looks on from the sidelines during the second half against Alabama in Baton Rouge on Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
The Tigers have four games left on their regular season schedule, but it doesn’t look like they will make the College Football Playoff this year after failing to make it under Kelly.
“With everyone heading to see the Tigers play, I wish Coach Wilson, the coaches and our players the best this weekend. I know they will do their best for themselves and for LSU. We will be watching and cheering you on,” Kelly added.
“This journey may have ended, but it is a journey that will stay with me and my family forever.”
Kelly has about a $50 million buyout from LSU, barring a settlement. That number would be the second highest in college football history, trailing only Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly stands on the sideline during the first half against Vanderbilt Oct. 18, 2025, in Nashville. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
As for who will replace Kelly next season and beyond, the decision won’t be Scott Woodward’s. He resigned as athletic director following public comments from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, one of LSU’s key stakeholders.
Interim athletic director Verge Ausberry has dismissed talk of Nick Saban reuniting with the program, but Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has been rumored as a candidate.
