Paul Finebaum Names Prominent SEC Program Whose Fans Won’t be Patient originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2025 college football season is approaching quickly, and this means several coaches must improve their performance to retain their positions.
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This means that some coaches who are not currently on the hot seat may find themselves in that position if their team’s performance declines early in the season. One such coach could be Brian Kelly, the head coach of the LSU Tigers. On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” the analyst from the SEC Network was discussing the Tigers’ schedule for the beginning of the season.
He indicated that if LSU loses two of its first three games against the Clemson Tigers and Florida Gators, the fan base may turn against the head coach.
LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly will be under pressure to start the season strong, according to Paul Finebaum.Stephen Lew
“Nobody knows the culture of the fan base better than you two guys,” Finebaum said. “They’re not patient and a loss to Clemson, and we talk about that game Saturday night against Florida, and you’ll be able to feel the pressure and tenseness in that stadium.”
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Deciding to move on from Kelly would be a challenging choice. Not only is he an elite coach, but doing so would also involve a significant buyout fee. His buyout stands at $51.7 million. This amount will decrease each year, dropping to $42.5 million in 2026, $33.1 million in 2027, $23.4 million in 2028 and finally $13.5 million in 2029.
Kelly is regarded as one of the top coaches in college football, boasting an overall record of 195-73, including a 29-11 mark at LSU. However, his performance seems to be declining each year.
In his first season, the Tigers finished with a record of 10-4. They won the SEC West division and advanced to the SEC Championship Game. In his second year, the team achieved a 10-3 record but did not win the SEC West.
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Last season, LSU ended with a 9-4 record and once again did not win the conference. Furthermore, the Tigers have not qualified for the College Football Playoff during Kelly’s tenure.
LSU will kick off the season with a key road game against Clemson on Aug. 30 at 7:30 PM ET.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Coach Who Needs to Make the Playoffs
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
