Brian Kelly Breaks Silence With Emotional Farewell Message After Getting Fired by LSU

Kelly penned a goodbye letter to LSU fans.

Former LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly finally broke his silence with an emotional letter penned to the team’s fans. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Brian Kelly has finally broken his silence more than a week after he was fired by LSU.

The 64-year-old head coach took to social media and released a statement about his time with the Tigers. It is transcribed below.

Dear Tiger Fans:

Moving to Baton Rouge four years ago, my family and I were clear. There would be no halfway. We would be all-in for LSU and for Louisiana.

The journey began with great expectations with my own vision of how to get there. Sometimes the journey does not end the way we hope.

But when I think of our time together, I will remember and appreciate what we did accomplish. All of the exceptional student-athletes I had the privilege to coach. A Heisman Trophy winner and more than a dozen Tigers playing on Sundays. 39 players earning SEC Academic Honor Roll honors in 2024 alone. My daughter and son earning advanced degrees from LSU and a third who began his career working at the University.

The roar of Death Valley when we beat Alabama.

The losses will always hurt, but I will remember all of the wins.

I don’t need to tell any of you how special Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium are. I am honored to have worn the purple and gold and been a part of it.

As everyone heads on their way to see the Tigers play, I wish Coach Wilson, the coaches and our players the best this weekend. I know they will do their best for themselves and for LSU. We will be watching and cheering for you.

This journey may have ended, but it’s a journey that will stay with me and my family forever.

Kelly ended the statement with “Geaux Tigers” and his signature.

Brian Kelly’s record at LSU

In four seasons at LSU, Kelly went 34-14 and 19-10 in the SEC. After the Tigers hired him away from Notre Dame on a 10-year, $95 million contract in late 2021, much was expected of the program. He never reached those highs.

LSU went 10-4 in 2022, then followed that up by going 10-3 in 2023. But the Tigers fell to 9-4 in 2024 and opened the 2025 campaign at 5-3, with three losses in Kelly’s final four games.

Things were so untenable for LSU that the university fired Kelly while it still owed him a massive buyout worth more than $53 million. The now-former coach has indicated he may be willing to come to a settlement on his buyout.

With Kelly gone, LSU’s search for a new head football coach has begun, but there has already been a lot of drama surrounding it.

We’ll see where the university goes next after Kelly finally said goodbye.

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