LSU has spent over $43 million on athletics buyouts over the past decade

by Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator
November 17, 2025

LSU has paid more than $43 million to buy out the contracts of its coaches and athletics department leaders over the past decade and soon might be on the hook for more than $53 million more. 

Former football coach Brian Kelly is suing LSU to get his full buyout of nearly $54 million, which would be among the largest ever given to any college coach. Kelly’s 10-year, $100 million contract guaranteed him 90% of his remaining salary if LSU fired him without cause, which they did just four years into the deal. 

That price tag was a big factor in former LSU Athletics Director Scott Woodward subsequently losing his job. Gov. Jeff Landry, who also played a role in Kelly’s firing, publicly blasted Woodward for the coach’s contract. 

Significant concern has been voiced recently at LSU over growing buyouts for college coaches. 

At a September meeting of the LSU Board of Supervisors, Vice Chairman Lee Mallett, a Landry appointee and major campaign donor, brought up the financial impact to the university of buying out poorly performing coaches. It cost $17 million for the university to part ways with Ed Orgeron in the middle of the 2021 season. Mallet argued LSU should be the first to break the mold and drop the buyouts. 

Kelly’s buyout is a significant escalation in buyout spending. 

The Louisiana Illuminator and Tiger Rag filed a public records request with LSU for information on how much the university has spent on athletics buyout payments. The documents provided show LSU paid more than $43 million to sever ties with two head football coaches, one athletics director, one head swimming and diving coach and 32 assistant coaches from various sports from fiscal year 2015-16 to present. That sum is more than $10 million less than what the university owes Kelly. See the full buyout data below. 

It’s a common misconception among fans that buyouts are paid by the Tiger Athletic Foundation, a private organization that raises money for LSU athletics. The university’s athletics department made all of the buyout payments, spokesman Zach Greenwell said. 

Greenwell was unable to provide specific details about the extent private funds, if any, were used in the buyouts. 

“There’s no direct line between private donations and the buyouts,” Greenwell said in an emailed statement. “They are all paid directly by LSU Athletics, and obviously self-generated funds and associated private funds are encompassed in athletics’ budget.” 

While not tax dollars, the athletics department’s budget, primarily fueled with self-generated revenue, is still considered public money. All public universities in Louisiana are primarily funded with self-generated funds, such as tuition and fee revenue. The spending of that revenue requires legislative approval. Of the LSU System’s $1.2 billion budget for the current fiscal year, more than $800 million comes from self-generated revenue.  

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Annual spending on athletics buyouts ranged from just over $28,000 in 2015-16 to more than $10 million in 2021-22, when LSU paid the bulk of former head football coach Ed Orgeron’s exit incentive after he was fired midway through the 2021 season for poor performance. 

Too many losses on the field are typically not considered a valid reason for a school to waive the buyout clause of a coach’s contract. 

Another $4.47 million was paid to former head football coach Les Miles, who was fired in 2016. LSU previously announced the coach had agreed to settle for a lump sum of $1.5 million instead of the full $6.5 million he was owed.  

While the bulk of LSU’s buyouts went to football coaches, just under $1.5 million went to coaches or assistants in other sports and former athletics director Joe Alleva. 

Alleva received payments totalling $840,000 spread over four years following his departure, after which he was appointed to a position advising then LSU President F. King Alexander. Though his departure was framed as a resignation, his contract did not guarantee any form of buyout unless he was fired without cause. 

Former men’s basketball assistants Randy Livingston, Robert Kirby and Lauren Green collectively received buyout payments totalling more than $401,000 during the ten-year period. Former women’s basketball assistant Anthony Perotti received around $28,000. 

Former swimming and diving head coach Dave Geyer received payments from 2021-23 totalling $203,500. 

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