Kelly Joins CBS
Former LSU Coach Brian Kelly Joins CBS Sports as Color Analyst Starting in 2026
Key Points
Boosters were willing to 'eat' Brian Kelly's roughly $54 million buyout to get him out of town, signaling the depth of discontent with his LSU tenure.
As part of the buyout, Kelly had to demonstrate 'good-faith, reasonable and sustained efforts to obtain' a new coaching job, a condition attached to the severance.
Kelly already surfaced in CBS coverage ahead of the official 2026 role, appearing as an analyst during CBS Sports Network coverage around the NFL Draft, signaling CBS's early testing of him for a larger on-air role.
In addition to broadcasting, Kelly reportedly took an unpaid position with Memphis as an unofficial recruiting adviser, extending his involvement in college football beyond TV work.
Kelly’s LSU tenure ended with a 34-14 overall record and 19-10 in SEC play, and he was fired after eight games in the 2025 season, marking a sharp decline from earlier success.
Brian Kelly is trading the sideline for the broadcast booth. Front Office Sports reports that CBS Sports officially named Kelly a color analyst for the 2026 college football season, where he will call Mountain West games in a three-man booth and appear on CBSSN's studio show, Inside College Football.
The move comes eight months after LSU fired Kelly midway through the 2025 season, following a 49-25 home loss to No. 3 Texas A&M. Kelly finished his LSU tenure 34-14 overall and 19-10 in SEC play — but never reached the College Football Playoff in four seasons.
A $54 Million Firing and a Rocky Exit from Baton Rouge
LSU owed Kelly a $54 million buyout after firing him without cause, per USA Today. His formal termination letter arrived November 26, 2025 — a full month after the dismissal. The delay, Kelly's camp argued, hurt his chances of landing a 2026 coaching job. His contract included a "duty to mitigate" clause, requiring him to make "good-faith, reasonable and sustained efforts" to find new work. Failure to do so would allow LSU to reduce its payments.
LSU Board Chairman Scott Ballard said the buyout would be covered by "self-generated athletics funds and private donors" — not state education money, per WBRZ. The university is on the hook for roughly $800,000 per month through 2031, according to TigerRag. LSU AD Scott Woodward, who signed Kelly to a 10-year, $95 million deal in 2021, was himself fired four days after Kelly.
Kelly's Unpaid Memphis Role Keeps LSU Paying Full Price
Kelly took an unpaid, unofficial consulting role with the University of Memphis in June 2026. He is helping first-year coach Charles Huff with recruiting and transfer portal strategy, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The role costs Kelly nothing — but it costs LSU plenty.
Because Kelly earns $0 from Memphis, LSU gets no "offset" — meaning the buyout is not reduced by that income. TigerRag editor Glenn Guilbeau noted the arrangement forces LSU to pay the near-full $54 million while Kelly gains coaching experience on the side. His CBS salary is also reportedly low enough to barely dent LSU's obligation.
CBS Tested Kelly on Air Before Making It Official
Kelly did not walk cold into the CBS role. Between April 14 and 23, 2026, he appeared on CBS Sports Network as an analyst for NFL Draft coverage and quarterback evaluations. The stint was widely seen as an audition — and he passed. Bleacher Report confirmed the formal CBS deal in June, placing him in the Mountain West booth and on Inside College Football.
The CBS move also reshuffled the network's college lineup. Charles Davis is replacing the retiring Gary Danielson alongside Brad Nessler on Big Ten telecasts, per USA Today. That shift opened the door for Kelly to slot into the Mountain West coverage. Front Office Sports called the arrangement a "musical chairs" win for CBS.
Kelly Has Not Ruled Out a Return to Coaching in 2027
Kelly is not treating this as a retirement tour. He told SiriusXM in March, "I don't know that I've made the decision that I want to get back in... but while you wait, you need to work." He told USA Today more bluntly: "I didn't win enough games, period." Both quotes point to a coach who sees broadcasting as a bridge, not a destination.
Industry analysts view the CBS role as a calculated move to stay visible for the 2027 coaching cycle. Front Office Sports compared it to a "Nick Saban-style" rehabilitation tour — keeping Kelly's name in the national conversation without the pressure of a weekly win-loss record. With 297 career wins, he remains a top-tier candidate if a major job opens up this winter.
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