$53M Goodbye: Brian Kelly’s LSU firing has Notre Dame fans talking

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The college football world was rocked this week as former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly was fired from LSU after three straight losses, including a blowout to Texas A&M. The move reportedly comes with a $53 million buyout — one of the largest this season in college football.

Kelly, who left Notre Dame in 2021 to take the LSU job, finishes his tenure in Baton Rouge with mixed results. His firing adds to a growing list of major coaching changes this season, including Billy Napier (Florida), James Franklin (Penn State), Sam Pittman (Arkansas) and Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State).

Notre Dame’s current head coach Marcus Freeman, who previously served as defensive coordinator under Kelly, shared his thoughts on the news:

“Coach Kelly gave me an opportunity to come here, and I'm always rooting for him. But it's also the profession we've chosen… if you're not grateful for what you have, you're going to find a way to lose it.”

Freeman wasn’t the only one reacting. Notre Dame students on campus had mixed emotions about the former coach’s firing. Some called it “justice served,” while others said they “hate to see anyone lose their job.”

Interestingly, the last three defensive coordinators who worked under Kelly at Notre Dame — Mike Elko (Texas A&M), Clark Lea (Vanderbilt), and Marcus Freeman — are now all head coaches themselves, combining for an impressive 19–3 record this season.

With more than $169 million in total buyouts across the sport, this year’s coaching carousel is spinning faster than ever.

As for Notre Dame, the Irish are moving forward under Freeman and preparing for their next matchup against Boston College this weekend.