LSU athletics director Scott Woodward is known for splashy coach hirings.

Perhaps the most notable move of his career came in 2021, when he convinced Brian Kelly, the winningest coach in Notre Dame history, to take over a Tigers program looking to get back to a national championship level.

Unsurprisingly, it took a lot of money to pull that off, and with his current contract, Kelly is one of the highest-paid coaches in the nation in 2024. According to USA TODAY Sports’ coaching salary database, Kelly is set to make $9.975 million this season, ranking eighth nationally and fourth in the SEC behind Kirby Smart, Steve Sarkisian and Kalen DeBoer.

He could earn more than a million more in bonuses this season, and he was paid $100,000 in bonuses in 2023-24.

Kelly is 25-8 at LSU, and while he’s yet to get the team to the College Football Playoff, it’s unlikely the program will look to move on any time soon. If it did, however, a buyout wouldn’t come cheap.

If Kelly were fired after Dec. 1, the school would owe him a buyout north of $61 million, the fourth highest of any coach from a public university in the nation.

The Tigers have clearly invested heavily in Kelly, and they hope that pays off with a trip to the CFP in Year 3.

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