MikeTheTiger71

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We would be paying for a top 5 coach and getting Les Miles 2.0, but likely not as good as Les.

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The problem is nobody knows who a Top 5 coach is in the current environment nor do they really know how revenue sharing changes the equation.

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because they are trying not to pay him at all...thats why his lawsuit is about just cause.

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He could just wait for LSU to make a “for cause” claim to respond if that were the case. He’s clearly trying to force LSU’s hand to gain leverage for a more favorable negotiated settlement.

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What legal technicalities are you referring to that most people accept?

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That LSU has only a narrowly defined window to pursue a “for cause” termination.

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You think there are currently other coaches that are cool with their schools prolonging their termination to dig up dirt so they can fire them with cause?

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I have no idea and neither do you. Kelly’s lawyers filed a claim in court based upon legal technicalities that most people don’t seem to have a problem accepting, but they are all up in arms about the possibility that LSU is falling back on similar legal technicalities in the same situation. LSU let Kelly go under duress from an overly emotional fanbase, which no doubt left them in a situation where they didn’t have all their ducks in a row. Firing Woodward before the process even got off the ground certainly didn’t help. It was an open secret that Napier was being fired before it happened. More than likely it was this kind of legal maneuvering that was behind the delay. LSU should have handled this in a more orderly fashion, but that doesn’t mean anything they are doing is out of the ordinary.

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They already did that. 4 years ago. LSU still owes him $54 million of what they agreed to pay him.

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No, that’s the number that is paid out over a 6-year period that comes with an offset for future earnings and requirements to look for another job in good faith paid at market value. Annuities are negotiated to lump sum payments all the time in business, especially if removing the offset for future earnings is part of the equation. It’s in the best interest of both parties to find a negotiated settlement that works for both to close the books on this sad chapter.

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If you didn't have the money to buy him out, you shouldn't have fired him. Economics 101.

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LSU’s reported offer doesn’t necessarily save them money. It requires more money upfront and could be more than they would have to pay if Kelly finds another job paying more than $24M. What it gives them is a specific number to budget and spares them the headache of having to fight with Kelly over whether he is really making a good faith effort to find work. In return, Kelly gets the opportunity to make more than $54M and be free of scrutiny by LSU over how he chooses to look for work.

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I'd bet that you won't find a single school who is regularly top 10 in baseball, WBB, softball, and gymnastics going forward. Do you really want to pay the market rate for each and be a #10-25 program for each? Or would you rather sacrifice some so you can be #1 in others?

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I think LSU has the right coaches in place in baseball, WBB, and gymnastics to compete for national titles without having to outspend everyone else. That may allow them to have a competitive budget for softball as well. I love all 4 sports, so I hope one doesn’t have to be sacrificed, but I suspect it would be softball if they are forced to choose.

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This is why Blockbuster and others completely misunderstood the changing landscape. My point: You can have the most money and still failing. Failing to understand your failing is the problem. Might as well quadruple down and not have eyes.

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In Blockbuster’s case, there was a consistent blind spot and failure to adapt to the changing environment. There was also a clear path forward (Netflix). I don’t see any of those patterns in the current situation for LSU. The issues have been unique to each season with Kelly showing a willingness to adapt every time, maybe not as quickly as fans thought he should have, but he did make changes. On the flip side, there is no clear alternative model to which LSU should turn instead.

2022- Special teams directly cost LSU the FSU game and was a key contributor to the Tennessee and Georgia losses. Despite that, LSU outperformed expectations thanks to Daniels, whom Kelly should be credited for bringing in. After the season, he parted ways with Polian to address the problem.

2023- The defense was a disaster undoing an all-time great offense. Kelly deserves blame for a bad hire in House, but he again addressed the issue by firing him and bringing in a strong replacement in Baker.

2024- LSU was in a strong position to make the SECCG and CFP until Dellinger and Frazier went down with injuries. They couldn’t protect Nussmeier during the 3-game losing streak and he was pressured into mistakes. There was still a talent gap on the defensive side which Kelly addressed by getting more aggressive in the transfer portal. There were signs of concern with the offense, but they played well enough outside the 3-game slide.

2025- Nussmeier’s injury has plagued the offense most of the season, exposing potential issues at OL coach and OC. We’ll see how the remainder of the season plays out, but despite the grumbling that Kelly is too arrogant or set in his ways, I would expect him to address the issue just as he did with Polian and House. Despite all that, had Nussmeier been healthy, they likely would have beaten Ole Miss. He finally got closer to 100% in the last couple of games, then Gooden and Weeks went down. The offense did well enough to win against Vandy, but the defense let them down. With Gooden and Weeks, LSU more than likely wins. I don’t see a program going backwards. I see a team that could very easily be 7-0 right now at 100%. I don’t think you can necessarily blame a coach for depth issues in the current environment.

It’s been a game of Whack-a-Mole so far in Kelly’s tenure. He’s had some hiccups with the coaching staff, but also some goods hires. He’s shown a willingness to shake things up when necessary. Injuries really have derailed progress the last two seasons or else there’s a good chance they would have been in the CFP last year and in the driver’s seat this year. At some point if all the pieces don’t come together, it’s time to move on. I just don’t see that now. It’s been bad luck as much as anything more recently.

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So what's your explanation again?

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My explanation is that I am humble enough to admit I don’t know what’s going on in college football right now. Traditional ways of thinking about what leads to successful programs don’t appear to be holding true in this environment. It’s chaotic and uncharted. Everyone’s feeling around in the dark trying to figure it out. Kelly hasn’t figured it out, but apparently very few, if any other coaches have either. The transfer portal has impacted depth for everyone, so it’s not unreasonable to suspect that key injuries are going to have a greater impact on teams than it has historically.

Fire Kelly, then what? What coach do you feel truly confident has the new world order figured out? Who really knows what the keys to success are or how to determine which coaches do?

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That aged well.

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Yes. 271 yards rushing allowed is clearly a great defensive game plan.

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Why is Vandy beating Bama last year relevant?

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So you are agreeing that what LSU did against Vandy over the last 35 years isn’t relevant to this year?

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Explain to me how these other programs have a new advantage over LSU. If the landscape has changed, shouldn't LSU be on the forefront?

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Why did Oregon lose by 10 to Indiana AT HOME? Why did Penn St lose 4 straight including UCLA and Northwestern AT HOME? Why did Michigan go 8-5 last year and have the same record as LSU this year? Why are Clemson and Florida 3-4? Why did Miami miss the playoffs last year and lose this year to Louisville AT HOME? Why did Alabama lose 4 games last year for the first time since 2007 including a loss to Vandy? Why did Georgia lose 3 games for the first time since 2018? Why do ND, Texas, and Tennessee have 2 losses already? Why did Oklahoma go 6-7 last year?

Why are Indiana, Georgia Tech, and Vanderbilt in the Top 10? Why are the Top 5 in the ACC standings: Georgia Tech, Virginia, SMU, Pitt, and Duke? Why are BYU and Cincinnati at the top of the Big 12? Why is Indiana first in the Big 10 and Northwestern, Minnesota, and UCLA tied for 3rd?

This is far from an LSU specific phenomenon. Whatever you think you know about who should be thriving in the current environment, it doesn’t match the reality of what is actually happening on the field.