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Brian Kelly sat at a podium following the 2024 win over Oklahoma and made a promise to college football fans that ended up coming back to haunt him on his final day as the LSU Tigers head coach. "So you know, again, we're taking receipts, and you know we'll see you at the national championship (in 2025)," It was at that moment where the expectations would be the downfall of Brian Kelly, besides the fact that he never took the time to fully embrace life as the LSU head coach. Books will be written about Brian Kelly’s downfall, but the truth is simple — it was never a perfect marriage. LSU fans expect their head coach to fit the culture, not fight it. And if you're only worried about yourself, support will fall when your back is against the wall. Nobody is bigger than the LSU program. LSU Fires Brian Kelly After Shocking Weekend In Baton Rouge. What's Next? Paging Lane Kiffin Looking back on Sunday, both sides were looking for a fight. When Brian Kelly walked into AD Scott Woodward's office to discuss the direction in which they would go with assistant coaches, the conversation turned into a knock-down argument that turned into the final nail hammered onto the casket of Kelly's tenure in Baton Rouge. In the case of Kelly, this was seemingly over once LSU fans started "Fire Kelly" chants that were picked up all over national television during the second half of the Texas A&M throttling. "Have you ever seen the governor intervene in a college football decision like this?" one source told OutKick. "There are certain things in this state that cannot be screwed up, and one of those is college football, as crazy as it sounds with other problems plaguing Louisiana. When the final decision comes down to a board meeting inside the governors mansion, I think that pretty much encapsulates southern football at its finest. "Brian Kelly seemed to grow sour on the state, and the governor sent him packing with a nice paycheck as a parting gift." LSU Officials Discussing Buyout Options For Brian Kelly, As Situation Worsens On The Bayou And, it just so happened that Governor Landry was going to be the one overseeing a Board of Supervisors meeting that would decide the fate of Brian Kelly on a Sunday filled with more madness than ‘Fat Tuesday’ on Bourbon Street. When you have the Governor taking shots at the football program on social media, you know things are headed towards a messy ending. We can all talk about the ‘cultural fit’ for the head coach in Louisiana. But that was just a good talking point that would hold water throughout the final season for Brian Kelly that never materialized into the national championship he promised. Now, LSU is seeking a coach who can fully encompass life at one of the most premier jobs in college football. Lane Kiffin Holds All The Leverage, Along With Jimmy Sexton Running towards the visitor section following the win over Oklahoma on Saturday, you could tell Lane Kiffin was overwhelmed with excitement, coming off a week when the entire conversation centered around whether he would end up being the next Florida coach. Now, that conversation has shifted, with two schools eyeing the services of the entertaining coach currently residing in Oxford, Mississippi. Let me be clear, I'm not saying that Kiffin is going to leave Ole Miss, but he sure holds an enormous amount of leverage over three different schools, if he were to play the hand he's been dealt. Lane Kiffin Silences Critics, Keeps Ole Miss in Playoff Hunt — and Florida Waiting If we're being honest, he might not be the coach LSU needs, but we all know AD Scott Woodward loves to make a splash hire. Maybe, just maybe, the right coach is currently residing in New Orleans, coaching Tulane. Could it be Jon Sumrall? Would Joe Brady fit at LSU? How about the Tigers finally finishing off the pursuit and nailing down Jimbo Fisher? You might call me crazy, but what about the 2025 coaching carousel has been sane? His agent, Jimmy Sexton, was fielding phone calls while sitting in one of Vanderbilt's suites on Saturday afternoon. Another caveat to that was his embrace with Commodores coach Clark Lea following their win over Missouri, which is a whole different conversation about whether he's ready to move on from Nashvile, which would be very uncharacteristic of him. As for Lane, he undoubtedly knew about the storm brewing in Baton Rouge that would lead to him potentially being courted by two programs that carry an enormous amount of weight in college football. Coaches Getting Pay Raises. Thanks To LSU, Penn State And Florida Just know that Ole Miss AD Keith Carter is going to do everything in his power to keep his head coach in powder blue, while other teams have Jimmy Sexton on speed dial. While this has never been about the money for Lane, it's what the money says that will stand out the most at the end of this already chaotic coaching carousel. Over the next six weeks, the arguments will center around which school is better for Lane Kiffin's future. Is it Florida, LSU, or Ole Miss? But it's clear that these schools had better get the next hire right, as the college football world is laughing at their current situation. News Flash: There aren't enough ‘Home Run’ hires to go around for every school currently looking. And, we aren’t done yet.
