Contract, salary details for LSU's Brian Kelly replacement Frank Wilson

Brian Kelly is out and Frank Wilson is in at LSU, at least temporarily. What is the school paying him?

What is LSU paying Frank Wilson to act as interim head football coach? | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

One of LSU’s most successful recruiters in the modern era is back on the sideline to lead the program during a time of sudden transition, as Frank Wilson was named interim head coach following the dismissal of Brian Kelly this week.

But while LSU is gathering what will amount to the most expensive buyout in college football history, it will also be dishing out seven figures to Kelly’s replacement.

How much is Frank Wilson getting paid?

Wilson is currently working on a deal that pays him $1.05 million this year after the school gave him a raise as part of a contract extension they agreed to two summers ago.

Entering the last year of his deal last offseason, Wilson locked in an extension from the school, getting a boost from the $950,000 he was paid in 2023 to $1 million for the 2024 season. 

He then got another raise to an estimated $1.05 million for the 2025 campaign as part of that arrangement, with the figure set to rise to $1.2 million in 2026, the final year of the contract.

Wilson is no stranger to the LSU football program, working as running backs coach and recruiting director during the last decade and was responsible for helping procure some of the school’s most famous recent names, including Odell Beckham and Tyrann Mathieu.

Kelly buyout makes history

Alongside its payout to Wilson to hold down the fort in the interim, LSU will also make quite an investment in order to keep Brian Kelly away from its football team.

The school owes Kelly an estimated $53.8 million in total buyout money, including 90 percent of his salary owed through the remainder of his contract, a total that represents the second-highest of any coach in college football history.

The leader in that category? That remains Jimbo Fisher, who was handed $76.8 million to walk away from Texas A&M, and the man who arranged that payment, Scott Woodward, is also the one buying off Kelly, this time as LSU’s athletic director.

Now, he’s in charge of finding, and paying, Kelly’s replacement.

LSU reacts after Brian Kelly firing

Woodward said that Kelly’s performance as head coach failed to match the standard set by the football program and its expectations for success.

“When Coach Kelly arrived at LSU four years ago, we had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge,” Woodward said in a statement.

“Ultimately, the success that the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize, and I made the decision to make a change after last night’s game.”

He added: “I am grateful for the ongoing consultations and support of the LSU Board of Supervisors and Interim President Matt Lee in this decision.

“We wish Coach Kelly and his family the very best in their future endeavors. We will continue to negotiate his separation and will work toward a path that is better for both parties.”