Just when it seemed the drama at LSU had subsided, Monday brought an unexpected twist, as a lawsuit revealed the school’s apparent pivot to try to get out of Brian Kelly’s buyout, leaving industry sources dubious and baffled.

Kelly sued LSU’s Board of Supervisors on Monday, saying school officials told him earlier that day that he had not actually been fired the week prior, that there may be grounds to fire him for cause (which would negate his buyout) and that former athletic director Scott Woodward did not have the ability to fire Kelly or negotiate a settlement. The school has declined comment.

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“It seems unlikely that LSU could set a new precedent when everyone in college sports is laughing at them for taking a position that’s absolutely absurd,” lawyer Tom Mars posted on X. Mars has represented several football coaches in lawsuits over their firings.

The suit claims Kelly was open to LSU’s desire to negotiate a smaller lump-sum settlement, rather than commit to his full $53 million buyout, which requires him to attempt to find another job to partially offset that buyout. Kelly declined offers of $25 million and $30 million, each with no offset. Former coach Les Miles negotiated a smaller settlement with LSU two years after he was fired as part of his plan to get back into coaching; the Tigers’ next coach, Ed Orgeron, had no offset clause.

The record of schools trying to fire coaches for cause is shaky, and in those cases, the distinction was rarely made so late in the process.

In 2018, Kansas fired coach David Beaty, then later tried to declare the move to be “for cause” over possible NCAA violations to avoid a $3 million buyout. After a protracted legal fight, Beaty received a $2.55 million settlement from the school. Former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald recently settled a lawsuit with his former school over his for-cause firing. He was initially suspended following an investigation into hazing within the program, then fired in an about-face from the school’s president after public pressure.

Tennessee fired Jeremy Pruitt for cause in 2021 to negate his $12.6 million buyout after the school’s internal investigation into NCAA violations.