LSU Athletic Director Excluded from Coach Selection, Says Governor

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced on Wednesday that Scott Woodward, the athletic director at Louisiana State University (LSU), will not be part of the search for the school’s next football coach.

“I can tell you right now, Scott Woodward has not selected a new coach,” Landry mentioned during a press conference. “Honestly, I’d let Donald Trump choose before I’d let him do it.”

This announcement follows LSU’s decision to part ways with head football coach Brian Kelly on Sunday. Kelly, who joined the team in November 2021 after a long tenure at Notre Dame, had a record of 34 wins and 14 losses while coaching the Tigers and led them to the 2022 SEC Championship Game.

In a statement about Kelly’s termination, the athletic department remarked that “the terms of his separation are still being negotiated.”

Kelly, who was in the midst of a $95 million contract, was in his fourth year with the team. Reports indicated that LSU would owe him about $53 million in buyout costs, with a single private donor stepping in to cover nearly the entire amount.

During his Wednesday remarks, Landry revealed that he had met with LSU officials at the governor’s mansion on Sunday to discuss Kelly’s firing and the associated financial implications. He noted that a recruiting committee from the LSU Board of Supervisors will work on finding Kelly’s successor.

Out of the board’s 14 members, Landry appointed six, including Chair Scott Ballard and Vice Chair Lee Mallett. Additionally, the Board of Regents is tasked with selecting LSU’s next president, a process that is already in motion.

Landry took the opportunity to criticize Woodward for offering Kelly a substantial contract and also for his decision to hire former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher back in 2017 when Woodward held that position at Texas A&M.

In that instance, Woodward signed Fisher to a 10-year contract worth $75 million. Ross Bjork, Woodward’s successor, later extended Fisher’s deal, boosting his annual salary to over $9 million. Fisher was let go in November 2023, with Texas A&M buying out his contract for nearly $77 million, which is noted as the largest buyout in college football history.

“I can promise you, we’re going to select coaches, we’re going to make sure they’re successful, we’re going to ensure they’re compensated properly, and we’ll put metrics in place because we’re tired of rewarding failure and making taxpayers bear the burden,” the governor stated.

The LSU athletic department was contacted for further comments.