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\nKyren Lacy’s parents reacted to the news of LSU firing head coach Brian Kelly, who Kyren played for before his death in AprilKyren’s father claimed Kelly didn’t reach out to him after the football star’s apparent suicide Kyren’s mother, however, said Kelly “absolutely called” after her son’s death and “even spoke beautifully at Kyren’s funeral”<\/p>\n
The parents of late LSU football star Kyren Lacy<\/a> \u2014 who\u00a0died in April of an apparent suicide<\/a> two days before a grand jury was expected to begin hearing evidence regarding his role in a fatal car accident, \u2014 shared conflicting responses to the firing of head coach Brian Kelly.\n<\/p>\n After the university announced that Kelly, 64, had been fired on Sunday, Oct. 26, after nearly four seasons as head coach and replaced by interim head coach Frank Wilson, Lacy’s father Kenny Lacy spoke out on social media on Monday, Oct. 27.\n<\/p>\n Kenny claimed in a post on Facebook<\/a> that Wilson “actually came” to meet with his family “and showed us some real genuine love when my son died,” adding that a “couple other coaches” also reached out following Kyren’s death.\n<\/p>\n “I didn’t even get a call or text from that dude in the back,” Kenny alleged, referring to Kelly.\n<\/p>\n “Must be nice to get paid millions to get your walking papers\u2026Let\u2019s get it coach Frank,” the late athlete’s father concluded.\n<\/p>\n Kyren Lacy on Sept. 30, 2023.<\/p>\n Michael Chang\/Getty<\/p>\n Later on Monday, Kyren’s mother, Kandace Washington, shared a different reaction to the news of Kelly’s firing. In a post<\/a> on Instagram, Washington shared a “Statement from Kyren\u2019s Family \ud83d\udc9c.”\n<\/p>\n Washington said she “can only speak for myself, my sons, and my family,” writing, “Coach Brian Kelly absolutely called me after Kyren passed, and we spoke more than once. Coach Sloan met with me as well, along with much of the LSU staff.”\n<\/p>\n The mother of the late football star said Coach Kelly “even spoke beautifully at Kyren’s funeral, honoring his life and the impact he made on and off the field.”\n<\/p>\n “The LSU coaches, staff, players, and community have shown our family nothing but love and support,” Washington continued. “We are forever grateful for the opportunity, the memories, and the kindness shown to us. Wishing Coach Kelly, Coach Sloan, and the entire LSU family continued blessings and success. \ud83d\udc9c\ud83d\udc9b.”\n<\/p>\n PEOPLE contacted Kenny and Washington, as well as representatives for Kelly and the university, but did not immediately hear back.\n<\/p>\n Kyren was found dead after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 12 after leading Houston-area police on a chase that day, the Harris County Sheriff\u2019s Office told PEOPLE at the time.\n<\/p>\n He had been facing felony charges stemming from a Dec. 17 car accident that killed former Marine Herman Hall, 78. After allegedly fleeing the scene without rendering aid or calling authorities, the Louisiana native was\u00a0charged<\/a>\u00a0with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle.\n<\/p>\n Kyren Lacy on March 26, 2025 in Louisiana.<\/p>\n Tyler Kaufman\/Getty\u00a0<\/p>\n On Oct. 3, Kyren’s defense attorney Matt Ory appeared on Louisiana television station HTV 10 to share new information<\/a> about the accident \u2014 and to dispute the claim that Kyren caused the crash. Ory pushed back on the Louisiana State Police’s investigation, citing a report from the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s Office, as well as footage of the Dec. 17 crash.\n<\/p>\n The\u00a0footage, Ory claimed to HTV’s Martin Folse, showed that Kyren’s green Dodge Charger arrived on the scene after the collision that resulted in Hall\u2019s death. At the time of the crash, Kyren’s vehicle was over 72 yards behind the other vehicles, Ory said, citing the report from the district attorney’s office.\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\n<\/p>\n Roughly 30 minutes before his death, officers responded to a disturbance call after a female family member alerted authorities that Kyren had allegedly been involved in a verbal argument with her and had discharged a firearm into the ground. When deputies arrived, they learned Kyren had fled the scene.\n<\/p>\n Authorities were able to locate his vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop when Kyren led them on a pursuit before crashing his car. The sheriff\u2019s office added that \u201cpreliminary information indicates that Lacy shot himself during the pursuit and prior to the vehicle crashing.\u201d\n<\/p>\n If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to\u00a0988lifeline.org<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n