Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R) said Wednesday that Louisiana State University (LSU) athletics director Scott Woodward will not be involved in choosing the university’s next football coach.
“I can tell you right now, Scott Woodward is not selecting the next coach,” Landry said at a news conference. “Hey, I’ll let them choose this before I let Donald Trump choose this.”
On Sunday, LSU parted ways with head football coach Brian Kelly. Kelly, hired in November 2021 after 12 seasons at the University of Notre Dame, led the Tigers to go 34-14 and reach the SEC Championship Game in 2022.
in a release In announcing Kelly’s dismissal, the athletic department said, “Terms of separation are still under negotiation.”
Kelly was in his fourth year at the age of 10, $95 million contractAccording to his contract, LSU is required to pay approximately $53 million to acquire Kelly. WDSU in New Orleans reported on monday That a private donor agreed to finance almost the entire purchase.
Landry confirmed Wednesday that he met with school officials at the governor’s mansion in Baton Rouge on Sunday to discuss firing Kelly and paying his buyout. He said the LSU Board of Supervisors will form a hiring committee to select Kelly’s replacement.
Of the 14 members of the board, Landry has appointed sixThat includes president Scott Ballard and vice president Lee Mallett. The board is also responsible for appointing LSU’s next president, the search for which is ongoing.
Landry criticized Woodward for giving Kelly an expensive contract, as well as hiring former Texas A&M University head football coach Jimbo Fisher during his time as the Aggies’ athletic director in 2017.
At that time, Woodward signed Fisher to a contract. 10-year, $75 million contractWoodward’s replacement, Ross Bjork, extended Fisher’s contract through 2021, bringing his annual salary to more than $9 million.
Fisher was subsequently fired in November 2023, with Texas A&M purchasing his contract for approximately $77 million, the largest such payout in college football history.
“I can promise you, we’re going to pick a coach, and we’re going to make sure that coach is successful, and we’re going to make sure he gets compensated fairly and we’re going to put metrics on him, because I’m tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill,” the governor said.
Hill has contacted the LSU athletic department for further comment.
