Feud Between Governor Landry and LSU Athletic Director Woodward Intensifies

The long-standing conflict between Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward has escalated recently. It took a turn after Woodward dismissed LSU football coach Brian Kelly, prompting Landry to publicly criticize him during a press conference. He made it clear that he wouldn’t participate in the search for Kelly’s replacement.

Reports, such as one from Yahoo Sports, suggest that Landry harbors a personal grudge against Woodward. Following the decision to fire Kelly, Landry convened a meeting with donors and select university officials at the governor’s mansion to go over the action.

During this meeting, he reportedly expressed a strong wish to also fire Woodward. “He did it for himself,” Landry said, reflecting on the contentious relationship. “This governor is a quarrelsome person, and I will never forget the fact that I disrespected him.”

Part of their divide appears to stem from differing political views, with Woodward being more progressive while Landry leans conservative. Shortly after taking office in 2024, Landry became more confrontational with the university over various issues.

It started when he criticized the LSU women’s basketball team on Fox News for not standing during the national anthem before an NCAA Tournament game. He denounced this action as disrespectful to the country and even threatened to withdraw athletic scholarships.

Later, he attempted to reinstate the school’s tradition of showcasing a live tiger at football games, a practice that had been abandoned. He had a Bengal tiger shipped from Florida for the occasion, though the actual LSU mascot was not used, which left the school feeling “angry, hurt, and embarrassed.”

This year, Landry reportedly pushed for the reinstatement of Will Wade as the basketball coach, despite Wade’s previous firing due to an NCAA investigation over player payments. Wade had a successful tenure at LSU from 2017 to 2022, boasting a 105-51 record and leading the team to three NCAA tournaments.

After a disappointing season under coach Matt McMahon, Landry urged Woodward again to let McMahon go and bring Wade back, but this request was denied. Just last week, Landry took matters further by accusing Woodward of giving Kelly an excessively costly contract that included a $54 million buyout.