LSU Fires Brian Kelly After Blowout Loss to Texas A&M

[ad_1] LSU's blowout loss to Texas A&M was the ultimate straw for Brian Kelly in Baton Rouge.

Kelly has been fired as LSU's head coach, the varsity introduced Sunday after a number of reviews emerged that it was shifting from its head coach. Frank Wilson, LSU’s affiliate head coach and working backs coach, will function the interim head coach, LSU additionally introduced.

Kelly was in the midst of his fourth season with this system, posting a 34-14 document throughout his tenure.

"When Coach Kelly arrived at LSU 4 years in the past, we had excessive hopes that he would lead us to a number of SEC and nationwide championships throughout his time in Baton Rouge," LSU athletic director Scott Woodward stated in an announcement. "Finally, the success on the stage that LSU calls for merely didn't materialize, and I made the choice to make a change after final evening’s recreation.

"I'm grateful for the continued consultations and help of the LSU Board of Supervisors and Interim President Matt Lee on this choice. We want Coach Kelly and his household the perfect of their future endeavors. We are going to proceed to barter his separation and can work towards a path that's higher for each events."

Whereas Kelly's document as LSU's head coach was 20 video games over .500, the Tigers struggled to compete in school soccer's highest stage with him on the helm. LSU did not attain the Faculty Soccer Playoff in every of Kelly's first three seasons, and Saturday's loss seemingly knocked the Tigers out of playoff competition as they fell to 5-3 on the yr.

Saturday's loss marked LSU's third straight loss to a ranked opponent. It fell to Thirteenth-ranked Ole Miss (24-19), Seventeenth-ranked Vanderbilt (31-24) and third-ranked Texas A&M (49-25) in every of its final three video games. These losses dropped Kelly's document in opposition to opponents to 4-11 throughout his time at LSU.

"As a proud alum, and because the present caretaker of our athletics applications, I can't compromise in our pursuit of excellence and we is not going to decrease our requirements," Woodward stated. "I proceed to imagine that LSU is the most effective soccer program in America and that our head coach place is among the many finest contemplating our funding, our capability to draw and retain expertise, our unbelievable followers, and our institutional and statewide dedication to — and love for –– LSU Soccer."

Earlier than Kelly's final loss ended, LSU followers had been chanting, "Fireplace Kelly!" These followers' needs have been granted, nevertheless it'll value this system a fairly penny to maneuver on from Kelly. LSU will owe Kelly $53,293,333, in keeping with USA Right this moment's database. That makes the firing of Kelly the second-costliest buyout in school soccer historical past, surpassing the near-$50 million mark for Penn State after it fired James Franklin earlier in October. Texas A&M's firing of Jimbo Fisher in 2023 stays the most expensive firing ($77 million).

The pay for Kelly's buyout can be made in month-to-month funds and offset by his subsequent job in soccer, except he and LSU negotiated a distinct fee construction upon his firing, The Athletic reported.

LSU poached Kelly from Notre Dame in a seemingly unprecedented transfer within the school soccer teaching panorama in November 2021. On the time, Kelly stated he felt he had a greater probability to compete on the highest stage and win a nationwide championship at LSU than Notre Dame, the place he went 113-40 over 12 seasons as head coach (together with vacated wins). Kelly additionally helped the Preventing Irish play within the nationwide championship recreation in 2012 and reached the Faculty Soccer Playoff twice (0-2).

As Kelly has floundered in massive video games at LSU, Marcus Freeman has flourished at Notre Dame. The Preventing Irish reached the nationwide championship recreation final season in a shock playoff run and seem poised to make the Faculty Soccer Playoff once more in 2025, including to the angst amongst LSU followers.

Now, LSU will search for a coach who can have related success to Freeman in massive video games. It's going to additionally seemingly be one of many high head coach openings, if not the highest opening, on this season's teaching carousel as a result of program's historical past and sources. Previous to Kelly, every of LSU's final three head coaches had led the Tigers to a nationwide title.

LSU will "instantly start a nationwide seek for a brand new head soccer coach," Woodward stated.

"I'm assured in our capability to carry to Baton Rouge an impressive chief, instructor and coach, who suits our tradition and neighborhood and who embraces the excellence that we demand," Woodward stated.

"Whereas there will definitely be hypothesis and reviews on candidates and the method, collectively we'll have a good time and welcome a brand new coach on the acceptable time. I urge all within the LSU neighborhood to proceed to help our student-athletes and coaches as they compete the remainder of the season."

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