By Hunt Palmer
LSU’s separation from Brian Kelly has turned messy.
According to a report from ESPN.com late Monday, Brian Kelly is filing suit against the university which informed him Monday that he was never formally terminated and would be fired “for cause” as of Monday. That decision from LSU would potentially impact the nearly $54 million buyout Kelly would be owed if fired “without cause”.
Following LSU’s October 25 loss to Texas A&M, Kelly met with LSU representatives including now former athletic director Scott Woodward. He was informed in that Sunday meeting that he would no longer lead the football program. ESPN’s report details that Kelly’s attorneys say LSU informed Kelly on Monday that Woodward did not have the authority to formally fire Kelly back in October.
Kelly’s contract includes a “for cause” clause that includes reasons for termination for: “material and substantial [NCAA] rule violations”; being convicted of a felony or “any crime involving gambling, drugs, or alcohol”; or “engaging in serious misconduct which either displays a continual, serious disrespect … for the mission of LSU” or “constitutes moral turpitude.”
Contractually, LSU must inform Kelly within seven days of termination that it would be “for cause”. That indication came Monday, 15 days after Kelly’s last game on the sideline. The documents did not disclose LSU’s specific reasoning for firing “for cause”.
LSU offered Kelly settlements of $25 million and $30 million in the days that followed October 26. Kelly rejected both. In an e-mail to LSU administrators on Sunday, October 26, Kelly suggested he would be “open to your desire to reach a settlement of what’s owed to me under the contract, although of course it would have to make sense financially.”
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