LSU should be feeling on cloud nine after poaching head coach Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss to become Brian Kelly’s replacement.
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Kiffin is set to make $12 million per year with the potential for added bonuses, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football, per ESPN.
Amid Kiffin’s hefty contract, LSU finalized Kelly’s nearly $54 million buyout last week. The former Tigers head coach had offset language in his contract, meaning he’s supposed to seek employment that could soften the buyout blow for LSU.
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There wasn’t much buzz in the Power 4 for Kelly after the Tigers fired him on Oct. 26. However, there was chatter that he would be interested in taking the Michigan State opening if the Spartans fired Jonathan Smith.
“There’s a lot of rumors this time of year, but the only job that I’ve actually heard connected to Brian Kelly, like in terms of ‘That might interest Brian Kelly’, is Michigan State,” Chris Hummer said on CBS Sports’ “College Football Insiders” earlier in November. “That’s in terms of a job he’d be actually interested in.
“That’s something to watch if Michigan State does come open.”
The MSU job briefly opened on Sunday when Smith was fired after finishing the season 4-8. He went 4-15 during his two seasons with the program.
However, the Spartans quickly filled the position with former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, per multiple reports.
Kelly’s representation complained that LSU’s tardiness in finalizing his termination caused the former Notre Dame head coach struggles to seek employment before the 2026 season. It’ll be interesting to see if Kelly’s name is linked to more jobs in the sport in the coming days.
LSU would have saved significant money if Kelly had landed a Power 4 job with Michigan State. The Tigers need all the cash they can get (or save) to pay for Kiffin and fund a competitive SEC roster.
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