The Brian Kelly era at LSU came to a bitter end in 2025, eight games into the 13-game season. After leading the Tigers to a 29-11 record through his first three seasons at the helm, LSU (which opened the season ranked No. 9 in the Preseason AP Poll) started the season 5-3. This led to his removal, just a few years after signing a 10-year, $95 million contract with the program.

One of those five wins in his final season in Baton Rouge came against Florida in LSU‘s home conference opener. That matchup will forever be remembered as the game in which Florida quarterback DJ Lagway threw five interceptions in a 10-point loss. However, that game could take on a new identity as “the one where Brian Kelly tore his rotator cuff.”

Kelly revealed this revelation during an appearance on Sirius XM’s Dusty and Danny in the Morning.

“You are in Naples, which is a beautiful place. They’ve got some great golf courses. Are you getting a chance to play some golf?” Kelly was asked. “I know you’ve also got the boat and you’re cruising around. What are you doing in your downtime to have some fun in beautiful Naples, Florida?”

“Well, if you ask LSU, I was playing 350 rounds of golf all through the year and drinking in my office,” Kelly joked. “The thing they didn’t know is I have a torn rotator cuff that I suffered in the Florida game on the sideline. I got hit by an offensive and defensive lineman, and it tore my rotator cuff. So, I haven’t played much golf; I’ve been rehabbing, mostly.”

Brian Kelly accrued 34-14 record across four seasons at LSU

Kelly’s rehabbing of his torn rotator cuff could serve as a good explanation as to why he was not hired as a head coach in this last head coaching cycle. Dating back to 1991 at Grand Valley State, Kelly has not missed a single season of college football.

This includes stints at Grand Valley State (1991-2003), Central Michigan (2004-2006), Cincinnati (2007-2009), Notre Dame (2010-2021), and LSU (2022-2025). In that span, Kelly boasts a 297-109-2 record with a (now vacated) National Championship appearance in 2012.

Another explanation for this potential break could be that LSU agreed to pay Kelly the remaining $54 million of his contract after Kelly filed a lawsuit against the University. Following his departure, LSU turned right around and signed former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin to a seven-year, $91 million contract.