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LSU announced the firing of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan on its official athletics website Monday (October 27), hours after confirming the reported termination of head football coach Brian Kelly.
Sloan, 38, was hired by LSU as part of Kelly's initial staff in 2022, first solely as a quarterbacks coach for two seasons before adding offensive coordinator duties in 2024. The Tigers currently rank last among all 16 SEC teams in rushing offense (106.25 rushing yards per game), 12th in scoring offense (25.5 points per game) and 14th in total offense (355.5 total yards per game).
LSU Director of Athletics Scott Woodward confirmed that the program decided to part ways with Kelly in a statement shared on LSU's official athletics website Sunday (October 26).
“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,” 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. I am grateful for the ongoing consultations and support of the LSU Board of Supervisors and Interim President Matt Lee in this decision. We wish Coach Kelly and his family the very best in their future endeavors. We will continue to negotiate his separation and will work toward a path that is better for both parties.”
Kelly, 64, has a buyout of nearly $54 million, which is the second-largest in the history of college football behind only former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher.
Kelly was hired by LSU after 12 seasons at Notre Dame and went 34-14 (19-10 SEC) during his four seasons in Baton Rouge, but has struggled to meet lofty expectations, finishing with a worse record than the previous season each year, which included tying for fourth in the SEC in 2024. The Tigers, who ranked as high as No. 3 overall for several weeks, fell out of the Week 10 Associated Press Top 25 College Football rankings, having suffered back-to-back losses to Vanderbilt and Texas A&M in the last two weeks.