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Louisiana State's decision to fire Brian Kelly marked the second time in less than two years a school was forced to pay an eight-figure buyout to a football coach hired by current Tigers athletic director Scott Woodward.
An LSU alum, Woodward was serving in the same role at Texas A&M when he infamously hired Jimbo Fisher away from Florida State in 2018. Fisher would later sign an extension with Texas A&M in 2021 after Woodward defected to his alma mater. But, with the Aggies at just 6-4 in November of 2023, Fisher was fired by Woodward's successor, thereby guaranteeing him a record $77.5million buyout.
That high mark was nearly eclipsed this week as Woodward fired Kelly, who is now owed a $54 million buyout that ranks second in college football history. However, Woodward said that figure could still be adjusted.
'We will continue to negotiate his separation and will work toward a path that is better for both parties,' Woodward said in a statement.
Now, with the last two football coaches he's hired getting paid $132 million to stay off the sidelines, Woodward is faced with significant criticism.
'We need a mugshot put on national television of that man's face… two coaches, hired by the same man, are being paid not to coach anymore,' Stephen A. Smith said of Woodward on ESPN. 'If that were a player, we'd be calling him out.
LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly is now owed $54 million after his buyout
An LSU alum, Woodward (pictured) was serving in the same role at Texas A&M when he infamously hired Jimbo Fisher away from Florida State in 2018
Jimbo Fisher was owed a record $77.5 million when Woodward's successor fired him
'I'm sorry Scott,' Smith continued. 'I'm quite sure you're a very, very capable man. I'm not advocating for you to be fired, but you owe somebody else some damn money because you should be giving some of your money back.'
Woodward makes $1.85 million annually in Louisiana, where the individual median household income is $57,852, according to the Shreveport Times.
The Tigers are just 5-3 in 2025 and have lost three straight to ranked opponents, including Saturday's 49-25 loss to the undefeated third-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, who have flourished under Fisher's successor, head coach Mike Elko.
'This is absolutely insane that some of these AD's (sic) aren't held accountable for their poor decisions,' long-time college sports reporter Jeff Goodman remarked about Woodward on X.
Woodward returned to Baton Rouge in 2019 as the Tigers football team was winning a national championship with coach Ed Orgeron, whom he'd replace in 2022 by hiring Kelly away from Notre Dame.
His tenure at LSU hasn't been a complete disaster, though. Woodward did hire women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey away from Baylor, which led to the Lady Tigers' first national championship in 2023.
