🏈 Coaching Football Is the Most Dangerous Job in Sports: Brian Kelly Bites the Dust

Far End of the Bench Podcast | Episode 254 Companion Blog

By Jimmy Pallotto | October 28, 2025

🎙️ “Another Week, Another Head Coach Gone”

The title says it all. Coaching football in 2025 has become the most dangerous job in sports — and this week, Brian Kelly found out the hard way. After a humiliating home loss to Texas A&M, LSU joined the growing list of Power 5 programs handing out pink slips before Halloween.

On The Far End of the Bench this week, Niko and I broke down the madness of the college football coaching carousel, the LSU job opening, a quick look at the latest rankings heading into November, a shot at the World Series, and of course, NFL Week 8 picks — where Niko stayed red-hot with a perfect week.

🎧 Watch or listen to the full episode here: YouTube / Spotify / Apple Podcasts

🎓 The College Football Coaching Carousel Is Spinning Out of Control

Brian Kelly officially joined the “Power 5 Hit List.” LSU fired him after an ugly home loss to A&M — and honestly, it felt overdue. From the fake southern drawl to the “family” speeches, Kelly never fit Baton Rouge. LSU fans can smell inauthenticity from a mile away, and this one never passed the sniff test.

Right now, we’re witnessing an all-time coaching bloodbath. By late October, we’ve already seen major programs like LSU, Penn State, Florida, and UCLA making moves or facing serious heat. College football is closing in on a quarter-billion dollars in buyouts, the most in history.

“If you ever hear a college coach say, ‘I’m here for the long haul,’ check his flight itinerary.” — Jimmy Pallotto

It’s brutal, but it’s true. In today’s college football landscape, every coach is one bad Saturday away from unemployment.

🐯 The LSU Job: The Crown Jewel of College Football

The guys agreed — the LSU job is the most desirable in the country right now. Better than Penn State. Better than Florida. Maybe even better than Alabama.

Louisiana recruits itself. The state produces elite athletes, and when they stay home, they’re wearing purple and gold. LSU’s not a “rebuild” — it’s a reload.

So who replaces Kelly? We threw out a few names:

• Joe Brady – Buffalo Bills OC and Baton Rouge legend from the 2019 title run.

• Lane Kiffin – Winning big at Ole Miss, and LSU might throw an offer he can’t refuse.

• Jon Sumrall – Tulane’s quiet culture-builder.

• Nick Saban / Urban Meyer – fun to mention, but both are dinosaurs in the NIL age.

“They don’t play for you anymore — you coach them. That’s the NIL era.” — Jimmy Pallotto

💸 The Buyout Boom

Let’s be real — it’s a good time to be a fired coach. In 2025, the real game isn’t winning championships; it’s negotiating your exit package.

Power 5 programs have spent over $250 million in buyouts this season alone. That’s not even counting the assistant coaches who get caught in the blast radius.

As I said on the show: “If you’re a coach and your contract doesn’t include buyout language, don’t sign it.”

College football’s turning into corporate America — but with more sweat, cussing, and gold polos.

🏆 Turning the Corner Into November: Playoff Contenders Emerging

We might be in the most competitive playoff race of the modern era. With the 12-team playoff on deck, everyone’s still alive heading into November.

Here’s how it looks right now:

1. Ohio State – The machine. The most complete team in the country.

2. Indiana – Legitimate contender after the massive road win at Oregon.

3. Texas A&M – Still undefeated, shocking the SEC world.

4. Georgia / Alabama – Reload, retool, repeat.

5. BYU & Georgia Tech – The new faces of chaos.

“In the playoff era, you’re not playing to stay perfect — you’re playing to be your best in December.” — Jimmy Pallotto

⚾ Dodgers Dominate, Blue Jays Fight for Life

While the coaching world burned, the World Series delivered its own drama.

The Dodgers led the series 2–1 when we recorded, powered by Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Yamamoto’s complete game gem. The Blue Jays are fighting like crazy, but the Dodgers are too deep and too disciplined.

“It’s like giving Barry Bonds a free base and then letting him steal second — Ohtani’s that kind of freak.” — Jimmy Pallotto

Toronto’s fun. But Los Angeles? They’re inevitable.

🏒 Avalanche Slump: “Pucks on Net, Boys”

The Colorado Avalanche hit a rough patch, losing four straight and struggling on the power play. Too much talent for it to last, but something’s off.

As I said on the show: “Shoot the puck.” Sometimes the simplest solution is the right one.

🏈 NFL Week 8: The Kids Are All Right

On the NFL side, it was chaos as usual.

• Broncos looked like contenders again in their throwback uniforms, behind a smothering pass rush and a defense that dominated even without Patrick Surtain.

• Bengals … well, they lost to the Jets, whose owner literally made Justin Fields cry in his closet after trashing him publicly. (Yes, that really happened.)

But this week was all about the young guys stepping up — Baron with his first interception, RJ Harvey with two scores, and Pat Bryant finding the end zone for the first time.

Niko went 4–0, moving to a 1.5-game lead in our season-long pick’em. I went 3–1 and stayed within striking distance. The battle continues.

🏅 Player of the Week: Nick Mangold+Jonathan Taylor

The world and NFL family was saddened by the passing of former All-Pro center Nick Mangold, only 11 days after announcing being put on the kidney transplant list. JT became the first player in NFL history to have 3 rushing touchdowns in 3 straight games.

❄️ Benchwarmers of the Week: The Bengals Offense+Poker Games

You can't give up 39 points to a team averaging 16 points and not find yourself here. Let alone run the biggest sports and illegal gambling racket.

“Justin Fields was legitimately crying in his closet until Thursday, and he still punked us.” — Jimmy Pallotto

Benchwarmer of the Week? Easy pick.

🧮 Week 9 NFL Pick’em

We’re hitting the halfway mark of the NFL season, and it’s time to make a move. Niko’s got a small lead, but I’m right there — one perfect week away from flipping the script.

Here are our Week 9 picks:

➡️ Records entering Week 9:

• Niko: 26–6 (🔥 leads by 1.5 games)

• Jimmy: 25–7–1

We’re both cruising above 75% on the season — proving once again that we don’t just talk ball. We know ball.

🧠 Final Thoughts: Authenticity Wins

Whether you’re a coach, a player, or a podcaster — authenticity wins.
Brian Kelly never fit because he tried to fake it. LSU fans don’t want fake. They want fire, culture, and someone who bleeds purple and gold.

From Baton Rouge to the Bronx, the message is clear: adapt or get left behind.

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