Ryan Clark Criticizes Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry for ‘Absurd’ Charlie Kirk Statue Idea

Ryan Clark Critiques Governor Jeff Landry’s LSU Coaching Hire Comments

ESPN’s Ryan Clark took aim at Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry on Thursday, expressing dissatisfaction with Landry’s recent actions regarding hiring LSU’s next head coach. Clark labeled the governor’s suggestion to place a statue of Charlie Kirk on LSU’s campus as “ridiculous.”

Landry made headlines earlier in the week by asserting that, after firing former head coach Brian Kelly, Athletic Director Scott Woodward would not be leading the search for a new coach. Instead, he indicated that the decision would rest with President Trump rather than Woodward.

On Monday, Landry also proposed that LSU honor the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk by erecting a statue in his memory.

While commenting on the situation, Clark, who is both an LSU alumnus and sports commentator, appeared to expand his critique beyond just the coaching hire, bringing up the statue proposal as well. “First of all, this is the second most ridiculous thing he’s said this week,” Clark remarked about Landry’s coaching comments. “The first was wanting to place a statue of someone who doesn’t represent the people of Louisiana, the players or students at LSU. This is the second stupidest thing among many stupid things he’s said.”

It is somewhat ambiguous how Clark sees himself representing the opinions of LSU players, students, and officials regarding the Kirk statue. Yet, it’s not unusual for media personalities to assert that they encapsulate the truth, even if qualifications seem lacking.

Earlier this month, Clark had to apologize on-air for misinterpreting a video linked to the late LSU receiver Kylen Lacy. The video, which showed Lacy’s car in relation to an accident he was accused of causing, led Clark to prematurely declare Lacy innocent. “We can never repair or replace the pain that his parents and loved ones must feel, but we can say his name,” he stated on “SportsCenter.”

However, authorities clarified that the video did not present the entire context and showed Lacy driving in a manner that contributed to the accident. Three days later, Clark issued an apology for his comments.

This was not the first time Clark found himself having to apologize; he has done so on previous occasions, including for remarks about ESPN colleague Peter Schrager and for comments involving Robert Griffin III and interracial relationships.