Brian Kelly Files Lawsuit Against LSU Claiming The School Now Wants To Fire Him For Cause

The latest Brian Kelly saga took another turn on Tuesday with the former LSU coach filing a lawsuit against the university, claiming that the school wanted to fire him for cause to avoid paying a full buyout of nearly $54 million. Per ESPN:

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According to a copy of the suit obtained by ESPN, "LSU's representatives had a call with Coach Kelly's representatives, where LSU took the position that Coach Kelly had not been formally terminated and informed Coach Kelly's representatives, for the very first time, that LSU believed grounds for termination for cause existed."

The 48-page lawsuit was filed in the 19th Judicial District for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (Louisiana) just hours after this call.

According to the filing, Kelly's lawyers are seeking "a declaratory judgment confirming that LSU's termination of Coach Kelly is without cause and that Coach Kelly is entitled to receive the full liquidated damages provided for in (his contract)."

If LSU had "cause," then the school would no longer owe the full amount of the buyout.

Kelly, 64, was initially relieved of his duties Oct. 26, one day after LSU's 49-25 loss to Texas A&M dropped the Tigers to 5-3. At the time, his dismissal was said to be performance-related, with then-athletic director Scott Woodward saying in a statement, "We had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge. Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize."

The suit does not specify who from LSU spoke to Kelly's representatives Monday, or what behavior might constitute a "for cause" dismissal.

The suit alleges that LSU told Kelly's representatives Monday that Woodward did not have "the authority to terminate Coach Kelly and/or make settlement offers to him" in October, and thus, Kelly was never officially terminated. Read more.

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