Brian Kelly’s legal team has filed a lawsuit against LSU in an effort to get the school to pay the former Tigers football coach the full buyout of $54 million. Wilson Alexander is covering the story for the The Advocate Newspaper and says the suit claims that LSU is telling Kelly he has not been formally terminated, and they will seek to fire him for cause.
“They are still continuing to just pay him. And because it has not been formally done in writing, they think that he has not necessarily been formally terminated,” Alexander explained.
If LSU can prove they fired Kelly for cause, then they would not owe Kelly the full $54 million buyout.
Alexander says according to Kelly’s contract, they must inform him that he was fired for caused within seven days after his firing.
“And that’s where LSU says, ‘Well, he hasn’t been formally fired, so we could still do this for cause because we could have seven days to then provide that notice,’” Alexaander said.
Kelly’s contract says the school can fire him for cause due to various behavioral issues, including NCAA rule violations, crimes or “serious misconduct” that “constitutes moral turpitude.”
Alexander says it’s unknown what reasons LSU has for firing Kelly with cause, but those reasons would have to be spelled out, if this case goes to trial.
“If they go to discovery, and they’re going into a Louisiana courtroom to decide whether or not he was fired without cause and is entitled to his full buyout, things would get very messy indeed,” Alexander said.
