According to multiple reports, LSU fired coach Brian Kelly on Sunday.
The move comes one day after No. 3 Texas A&M hammered No. 20 LSU 49-25 in a night game at Tiger Stadium on Saturday, which effectively knocked the Tigers out of the SEC championship and College Football Playoff picture.
Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reports Frank Wilson will be named interim coach.
Kelly compiled a 34-14 record at LSU, but the Tigers never broke through to the College Football Playoff after he was hired away from Notre Dame in 2022. Kelly, 64, is the latest high-profile firing in 2025. Penn State's James Franklin and Florida's Billy Napier also were fired in October.
Kelly has a huge buyout at LSU, and most of the potential candidates do not have the successful track record of the long-time coach. LSU athletic director Scott Woodward must keep that in mind before the school thinks about seeking other options.
Here is a look at potential candidates for LSU now that Kelly is gone.
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What is Brian Kelly's buyout at LSU?
According to On3.com, LSU owes Kelly a buyout of approximately $53 million. That is significantly more than what Penn State agreed to pay Franklin after firing the coach on Oct. 12. Dellenger reports the two sides are working toward terms on a negotiated buyout, but those terms have not been disclosed.
Kelly was in the fourth year of a 10-year, $95 million deal that he signed after leaving Notre Dame.
LSU coaching candidates
Who might be in line to take Brian Kelly's job at LSU? A look at some of the best candidates:
Jimbo Fisher, former Texas A&M coach
Fisher, 60, has not coached each of the last two seasons since being fired at Texas A&M, and he had a $77 million buyout. Fisher does have experience at LSU as an offensive coordinator from 2000 to 06. He won a national championship at Florida State in 2013 and compiled a 45-25 record at Texas A&M from 2018-23. Fisher could attract talent at LSU through recruiting and the transfer portal, but Kelly has done that, too. How much of an upgrade is it to hire a coach who has been out of the game for two seasons?
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Brady, 36, was the passing game coordinator for LSU during the national championship run in 2019. The Tigers averaged 48.4 points per game that season with an all-time offense that featured Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Brady took the NFL route after, however, and he is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Bills. Brady has never been a head coach in college or the NFL, but he's still a name worth watching.
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss coach
Kiffin, 50, is one of the most-sought after candidates in this year's cycle. Kiffin is 51-19 since taking over at Ole Miss in 2020. LSU is 45-26 in the same stretch. The Rebels are 7-1 and in the College Football Playoff hunt, and Kiffin has a $9 million annual salary. Would it be worth a move in the SEC? Florida also should be interested in Kiffin, but the coach might be tough to pull away from Oxford given the program's success the last three seasons.
James Franklin, former Penn State coach
Is this logical? Franklin, 53, is among the best potential candidates on the board. He had a 104-45 record at Penn State that included six seasons with 10 wins or more. The Nittany Lions made the College Football Playoff semifinals last season, and Franklin compiled a 24-15 record at Vanderbilt from 2011-13. Franklin will likely get hired in this cycle, but is he a more proven coach than Kelly? Kelly took Notre Dame to a BCS championship game before playoff appearances in 2018 and 2020. This does not feel like a home-run swing.
MORE: What's next for James Franklin after Penn State split?
Jon Sumrall, Tulane coach
Sumrall, 43, is 38-10 between Troy and Tulane. He has enjoyed success with the Green Wave the last two seasons with a 15-6 record that includes a 10-1 record in the American Conference. He has experience in the SEC as a linebackers coach at Ole Miss, and he's an up-and-coming coach who will be in the Power 4 soon. LSU hasn't hired a coach from a school that is outside the power conferences since taking Curley Hallman from Southern Mississippi in 1991. The Golden Eagles were independent at the time.
Brent Key, Georgia Tech
Key, 47, has increased his stock at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are 8-0 and squarely in the College Football Playoff mix. Key also served as the offensive line coach at Alabama from 2016-18. The problem? Key is at his alma mater, and LSU would be a tough sell for the Birmingham, Ala., native. This feels like a long shot at best.
Would Nick Saban or Urban Meyer come to LSU?
This seems like science fiction. Saban, 73, won a national championship at LSU in 2003 before leaving for the Miami Dolphins in 2005. He won six national championships at Alabama, but he appears comfortable with his job on ESPN's "College GameDay." Meyer, 61, is an analyst on Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff." Meyer won three national championships between Florida and Ohio State, but he has been out of coaching since a 13-game stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021.