LSU Tigers Paul Finebaum Send Strong Message After Brian Kelly 10-year, $95 million contract deal Friday Evening

Is it justified to consider Brian Kelly on the hot seat heading into the 2025 season?

Paul Finebaum gets why people are asking that question — but he doesn’t agree with the premise.

During an appearance on First Take as part of a Friday media tour across ESPN shows, Finebaum addressed speculation about Kelly’s job security at LSU. Kelly has compiled a 29-11 record over three seasons and is undefeated in bowl games (3-0). However, the Tigers are 0-3 in season openers under his leadership and haven’t seriously contended for a College Football Playoff spot. With LSU going all in for a title push in 2025, expectations have soared — and so has the pressure on Kelly to finally deliver.

Some are now wondering whether LSU might part ways with him if the program doesn’t meet expectations, even though Kelly has averaged 10 wins per year so far.

“When he left Notre Dame — the first coach to do so voluntarily in a very long time — there were sky-high expectations,” Finebaum said. “I get why people are questioning him, but you have to dig deeper into what he’s done. He beat Nick Saban and took LSU to the SEC Championship with Jayden Daniels. While there’s been a bit of a drop-off since then, he now has the best roster he’s had since his Notre Dame days. He told me that himself a few weeks ago. Plus, he’s recruiting at an elite level — and that’s critical in today’s college football landscape.”

Finebaum acknowledged there will be critics of his take but stood firm: “I don’t think Brian Kelly belongs on the hot seat right now.”

It’s also important to consider the financial implications of firing Kelly. LSU recently finished paying out Ed Orgeron’s buyout, and cutting ties with Kelly would be extremely costly. His contract — signed in late 2021 — was a 10-year deal worth $95 million, with bonuses pushing it north of $100 million. If LSU were to fire him without cause, they’d owe him 90% of the remaining value of his contract, paid in installments through the end of 2031.

Kelly earned nearly $10 million last season, ranking eighth among FBS coaches. A firing this year would saddle LSU with a buyout exceeding $50 million — a figure only a handful of programs in college football history have ever faced.