The LSU football team has once again lost a season opener, making it an 0-3 start to the season openers of Brian Kelly’s LSU career. While most fans have reacted rationally, there is a large group of LSU fans and outsiders who believe Brian Kelly is not a good fit at LSU and that the Tigers should move on.
Look, Kelly hasn’t lived up to the standard at LSU. He’s 3-6 over the last two seasons against top-25 teams. The problem for those in camp who think LSU would be better off firing Brian Kelly is that you can’t just snap your fingers and make him disappear, it’s much more complicated than that.
The biggest obstacle would be Brian Kelly’s contract, as he has a huge buyout amount still over $60 million. Even if LSU wanted to get rid of Kelly, it has a lot more wiggle room than one would think until that amount is achievable. If the team and boosters even wanted to raise that much money after paying the next coach, NIL spending would likely drop massively.
Speaking of which, Brian Kelly and his staff have done a great job recruiting and are currently the third best recruiting class in the nation. If you fire Brian Kelly, that recruiting class will likely take a massive hit and there would certainly be an exodus from the transfer portal, which would put the next coach in a terrible situation.
As much as everyone is upset about the loss, and rightfully so, Brian Kelly isn’t even close to being in the firing line. This team will surely be leagues better before its next big test against Ole Miss. The Tigers still have their fate in their own hands, as they could automatically qualify for the playoffs if they win the SEC, while managing two of three wins against Alabama, Ole Miss and Oklahoma and the rest of the schedule would put this team in the College Football Playoff.
