Brian Kelly weighs return to coaching, denies LSU's claims

Brian Kelly and LSU did not have a clean breakup when the university tried to find a way to fire him for cause in order to not pay his buyout. Allegations and rumors swirled as LSU may have been trying to do undermine Kelly’s work ethic in the final year in order to get out of the $53 million buyout.

On Friday morning, Kelly went on Sirius XM’s Dusty and Danny in the Morning and was asked about what he was doing in his free time, which led to a quick quip back at LSU.

“Well, if you ask LSU, I was playing 350 rounds of golf all through the year and drinking in my office,” Kelly claimed. “The thing they didn’t know is I have a torn rotator cuff that I suffered in the Florida game on the sideline. I got hit by an offensive and defensive lineman, and it tore my rotator cuff. So, I haven’t played much golf; I’ve been rehabbing, mostly.”

Kelly won 10 games in his first two seasons at LSU, but did not make the College Football Playoff. After a 9-4 record in 2024 and a 5-3 start in 2025, Kelly was fired at LSU. The question then became, would he find another job to offset some of the buyout? The answer this year is no for the 64-year old, but he’s open to a return in some capacity in the future.

“I don’t know that I’ve made the decision that I want to get back in, as all the things we’ve talked about, I’d want to see some changes. But I think while you wait, you need to work,” Kelly said. “And so, I need to stay in the game. My first order of business is this next two, three weeks, I’m gonna be visiting some places to see spring ball, get a chance to see some things relative to the football side, the operational side, some of the things we talked about today with NIL, transfer and calendar, and get a temperature in the spring for some things.

“I’ve got four former assistant coaches that are head football coaches in the NFL. I’ve got four Power Four assistant coaches that we’re close to. I want to get around and see their program, see how they’re doing, get a sense of where I can grow and I can be better. And so, that’s really my focus right now. And then if the right situation comes about and I’m ready, I’m certainly going to entertain that.”

LSU has since moved on, hiring Lane Kiffin and re-energizing the program, but in Kelly’s first public interview since the firing, he was open about his future and the allegations LSU pinned against him.