Report: LSU 'Was Prepared' to Offer Massive Contract to Another Coach Before Brian Kelly

The Tigers only had "big fish" in mind for the head coaching position.

LSU may have made a splash by luring Brian Kelly away from Notre Dame, but it turns out that Kelly wasn't the only candidate for whom the Tigers were willing to offer big money.

Last week, Sports Illustrated reported that LSU athletic director Scott Woodward had called Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher to gauge his interest in coming to Baton Rouge before entering into serious discussions with Kelly's agent. 

But on Wednesday, Action Network's Brett McMurphy added new information to the saga, reporting that LSU "was prepared to offer" Fisher an eight-year, $125 million deal worth $13 million per year to join the Tigers. 

While athletic director at Texas A&M, Woodward signed Fisher to a guaranteed 10-year, $75 million contract before becoming LSU's AD in 2019. 

SI recently reported that Woodward’s goal at the start of the search was to get a “big, proven fish." The school initially put together a list of candidates that included Fisher, Kelly, Penn State coach James Franklin, Michigan State's Mel Tucker, Lincoln Riley and Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule. 

LSU ended up signing Kelly to a 10-year, $95 million contract, making him the country's highest-paid coach at a public university. The deal averages between $10 million to $10.5 million a year and includes an annual "longevity bonus" of $500,000 and another $500,000 for making a bowl game. 

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