Brian Kelly’s firing came after a “very tense” meeting with LSU’s athletic director.

Scott Woodward met with Kelly Sunday after the team’s ugly home loss to Texas A&M the day before and clashed over staff changes, according to The Athletic.

Woodward wanted Kelly to fire offensive play-caller Joe Sloan, but Kelly pushed for different staff changes that The Athletic said Woodward “wasn’t comfortable with.”

The athletic director got his way as the program announced Sloan’s firing Monday morning.

Brian Kelly reacts during LSU’s loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 25, 2025. Getty Images

LSU athletic director Scott Woodward. Getty Images

The meeting also included “threats about negotiating a settlement” of Kelly’s roughly $54 million buyout, The Athletic reported. The school said in its release regarding the firing that terms of the separation are still being negotiated.

LSU (5-3) started the season 4-0 but has lost three of its last four games, its offensive warts getting exposed by Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M. The Tigers are 14th in the SEC in total offense with 355.5 yards per game this season.

Kelly, who previously coached Notre Dame for 12 years, finishes his three-plus-year tenure with a 34-14 record after going 10-4, 10-3 and 9-4 in his first three seasons, respectively.

LSU also fired offensive coordinator Joe Sloan on Monday. University Images via Getty Imag

“When Coach Kelly arrived at LSU four years ago, we had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge,” Woodward said as part of a statement. “Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize, and I made the decision to make a change after last night’s game.”

The 64-year-old’s firing continues a trend of big schools not blinking at paying massive buyouts to coaches they believe they need to dump.

Penn State fired James Franklin earlier this month after the team’s third straight loss, a home defeat to Northwestern, despite him having a $49 million buyout.

Florida also fired Billy Napier last weekend and will owe him $21 million.

Associate head coach Frank Wilson will be LSU’s interim head coach.