The saga between LSU and its former coach, Brian Kelly, continues to delve into the bizarre after ESPN revealed that Kelly’s lawyers sent a letter to the university over its claim that the football coach had not been “formally terminated.”
In the letter, Kelly’s lawyers claimed that because of the situation, it has “made it nearly impossible” for him to land another football coaching job.
“As you know, there is absolutely no basis to LSU’s contrived positions that Coach Kelly was not terminated or that cause existed for such termination,” the letter stated, per ESPN. “LSU’s conduct, including its failure to confirm that Coach Kelly was terminated without cause and its unsupported allegations of misconduct on the part of Coach Kelly, has made it nearly impossible for Coach Kelly to secure other football-related employment.
“LSU’s conduct continues to harm Coach Kelly, particularly during this critical hiring period.”
The letter was sent on Nov. 18 to LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry and board of supervisors member John H. Carmouche.
It also stated that Kelly “reserves all rights to seek any and all damages to the fullest extent permitted by law” for any interference that occurs in any potential job candidacy.
The saga that has brought Kelly and LSU to this point has been an odd one.
LSU fired Kelly on Oct. 26 after the Tigers fell to Texas A&M, and at the time, then-athletic director Scott Woodward said that the decision was performance-related.
Woodward himself was fired a few days later after he was lambasted by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who flat-out said Woodward wouldn’t be making the next coaching hire.
Kelly then filed a lawsuit earlier this month, alleging that LSU told his reps that Woodward didn’t have the authority to fire Kelly and that he has not been “formally terminated.”
The lawsuit also alleges that the school said it was firing Kelly “for cause” and, in turn, that would impact the $54 million buyout of his contract.
The suit filed by Kelly is asking that a Louisiana state judge issue a declaratory judgment that the coach was fired without cause and is owed the full price of his buyout.
In their first move since the suit was filed, the LSU board of supervisors voted to authorize new university president Wade Rousse to send Kelly a formal notice of his termination.
All of this is playing out while LSU has been trying to fill the role, with Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin mulling over the jobs in Baton Rouge and Florida or staying with the Rebels.
