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The LSU Tigers fired head coach Brian Kelly hours after losing to Texas A&M, and they are paying $54 million to move on from the former leader through a contract buyout. Kelly was a big-time hire from LSU four years ago as the program looked to make a serious splash. He resigned from Notre Dame, a "blue blood" program, to coach in the vaunted SEC. His contract at the time of signing was a 10-year deal worth $95 million. More news: Former LSU Head Coach Wants to Take Over Pac-12 School: Report After LSU's loss to the Aggies, athletic director Scott Woodward met with Kelly to discuss staff changes, as the current offensive play-calling was not working. The college program executive called for the team's offensive coordinator to be fired, though Kelly believed there were better options, and the conversation quickly became intense. Kelly was fired after the conversation ended. Now, LSU is looking for its next coach, and CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli believes it should not be an established name. "Well, you know when you look at these coaching searches at these big-time programs, we have seen them take big shots at big names and then they end up paying $50 million buyouts," he said. "Brian Kelly was a big swing and big name, and that did not work. Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M. Big swing, big name, did not work. "What did Texas A&M do after getting rid of Jimbo Fisher? Bring in Mike Elko, who might not be a household name, but was a good fit for the program. I think if LSU were wise, they would go for a guy who might not be a household name, but fits well in the program and is already coaching in the state. "Jon Sumrall at Tulane had a very effective career at Troy and turned that into the Tulane gig, and now he's got Tulane in a position where it could possibly get a College Football Playoff berth. "And I think if they hire Sumrall, he's somebody who can win a lot of games there, while also connecting with the fan base and the boosters, which is frankly something Brian Kelly did not do." Considering how the Tigers were burned by hiring Kelly, it is hard to imagine them going for another big name, and Sumrall would be a shrewd signing with little risk of going wrong. Sumrall has done wonders with limited resources, and he could potentially maximize all that LSU has to offer.
