LSU fires Brian Kelly after third loss of season: reports

Brian Kelly became the latest college football coach to get a pink slip before the end of the 2025 season.

LSU informed Kelly of its decision to part ways with him on Sunday following the team’s blowout loss to Texas A&M on Saturday night, ESPN reported. The team was expected to notify Tigers players of the decision and discussions over terms of his impending departure were ongoing, according to the report.

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LSU head coach Brian Kelly walks the sideline during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Texas A&M, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Gerald Herbert/AP Photo)

Associate head coach Frank Wilson was expected to be named interim head coach, according to On3 Sports. Wilson is also the team’s running backs coach.

Kelly was a high-profile hire by the Tigers, poaching him from Notre Dame after the 2021 season. He led the Tigers to a 10-4 season in 2022 and a Citrus Bowl victory.

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LSU head coach Brian Kelly shouts at an official during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo George Walker IV/AP)

The team made appearances in the ReliaQuest Bowl and Texas Bowl in 2023 and 2024, respectively, but was never able to make the College Football Playoff.

The 2025 season was expected to change that as Garrett Nussmeier was considered one of the Heisman Trophy favorites before the season started. The Tigers were ranked third in the country, but losses to the Aggies, Vanderbilt Commodores and Ole Miss Rebels sent the Tigers down.

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LSU head coach Brian Kelly stands on the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo George Walker IV/AP)

LSU has now lost three of its last four games with a matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide on the schedule in less than two weeks. A victory could still save the season, but it will be an uphill climb.

Kelly’s firing follows Penn State’s James Franklin, who was let go earlier this month. There are major openings in college football heading into the 2026 season.

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