Former LSU Football Coach Brian Kelly's Net Worth Ranks Him High Among Other College Coaches

It's no secret that professional sports are synonymous with wildly high contract amounts for players, but coaches also make a pretty penny thanks to their own roles on the field. Former Louisiana State University football coach Brian Kelly may no longer be with LSU, and it may be a college-level team rather than the NFL, but his net worth proves that there is plenty of money in coaching at a college level.

Brian left LSU in October 2025 after serving as head coach for about three years. Before that, he worked with other college teams. After more than two decades as a college football coach, Brian has amassed a net worth that even puts him in the top rankings among other coaches, per USA Today. As of 2025, he was in the top 10 thanks to his net worth and earnings.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Brian's net worth, thanks to his years of service as a coach for multiple college football teams, is $35 million. USA Today reported that, during his time at LSU, Brian's total yearly pay from the school was $10,175,000. During the 2024–2025 season, he earned $550,000 in bonuses.

Brian left LSU in 2025 after the school made the decision to let him go. Because of this, according to CBS Sports, he was owed a buyout. If a college football coach is terminated before their contract is up, there is typically a predetermined amount of money they have to pay out when they are let go. For Brian, that number is reportedly more than $50 million.

If fans think there is a lot of pressure on college football players, there is a similar amount of that on the shoulders of coaches. Apparently, because Brian failed to deliver on success for the team, the LSU Athletics Board let Brian go. According to an LSU Athletics press release posted on its website, the decision was made after the LSU Tigers after a Southeastern Conference loss on Oct. 26, 2025.

"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," Director of Athletics Scott Woodward said. "Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize, and I made the decision to make a change after last night's game."

Prior to joining LSU as the head coach in 2022, Brian coached at Notre Dame, the University of Cincinnati, and Central Michigan University. Despite being let go after a losing game wherein the crowd chanted "Fire Kelly," per Fox Sports, the former LSU coach at least walked away with a hefty consolation prize: that extremely high buyout from the school.