$10 million head coach facing 'must win' game amid firing rumors

Ahead of Week 9 of the college football season, there are several personalities at ESPN who are speaking out about a big-money college football coach whose job could be in big trouble. Both Paul Finebaum and Steve Coughlin have spoken up to term Week 9's battle of Texas A&M and LSU a virtual "must win" for LSU coach Brian Kelly, whose $10 million salary might be in jeopardy with a home loss.

On the Pat McAfee Show, Coughlin, better known to fans as "Stanford Steve" weighed in on Kelly's situation heading into a home battle with No. 3 Texas A&M. Asked if the game was a must-win for Kelly, Coughlin didn't hold back.

McAfee show comments

Absolutely. When you look at their schedule, the remaining way, they're going to be underdogs a bunch more times. If chalk holds up, I believe they're going to be 7-5. I don't know if Brian Kelly makes it to that. They've got road trips to Alabama, they have to go to Oklahoma... and then also, you've got Arkansas in a rivalry game. This is a monster, monster spot for LSU.
Steve Coughlin

Finebaum weighs in

Likewise, Paul Finebaum recently discussed Kelly's job situation on The Matt Barrie Show and made clear that he too regards Kelly's situation as tenous.

I heard it throughout the week. There's always been this difficult dance with Brian Kelly and LSU fans, but this past week it seemed to get even more uncomfortable.... It's still hard to sell to an LSU fan base on where they are right now.
Paul Finebaum

Kelly's Troubles

After a 4-0 start, LSU has now lost two of its last three games. As Coughlin noted, after facing the No. 3 A&M team this weekend, LSU will next go to current No. 4 Alabama the following week. Home games with Arkansas and Western Kentucky could be much easier, but a finale at No. 13 Oklahoma is also a real battle. At 5-2, even a third loss could knock the Tigers out of CFP contention.

Despite an eight-figure Salary, Kelly hasn't really reached the heights that LSU fans expect. In his fourth season, he is 34-13, but hasn't landed the Tigers in the expanding College Football Playoff, which is a sore spot with LSU backers.

Kelly was hired after Ed Orgeron slid to 5-5 and 6-7 in his last two seasons following a 2019 national championship season. That season was LSU's only appearance in the CFP to date, and with a monster of a schedule, Kelly's job is plausibly in jeopardy for the remainder of the season, starting with a massive challenge in Week 9.