Landry Says Lsu Athletics Director Won’t Pick Next Football Coach After $95m Fiasco

Louisiana politician Jeff Landry has said he will not let LSU athletics head Scott Woodward to take nan university’s adjacent shot coach, saying he would “let President Trump prime it earlier I fto him do it” aft what he called a bid of reckless contracts that person costs taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.

The governor’s remarks came days aft LSU fired caput coach Brian Kelly, who was lured from Notre Dame little than 4 years agone connected a 10-year, $95m woody that has now imploded. Kelly’s dismissal followed a 49-25 location nonaccomplishment to Texas A&M that dropped nan Tigers to 5-3 and capped a illness from early-season title hopes to frustration.

“I tin show you correct now, Scott Woodward is not selecting our adjacent coach,” Landry told reporters astatine nan authorities capitol successful Baton Rouge connected Wednesday. “Maybe we’ll fto President Trump prime it. He loves winners.”

Landry accused Woodward of a “pattern” of failure, pointing to a akin woody nan diversion head made while moving Texas A&M’s program, wherever coach Jimbo Fisher was fired successful 2023 pinch a $77m buyout – past nan largest successful assemblage sports history. “The feline that’s present now wrote that statement that costs Texas A&M much than $70m,” Landry said. “Right now, we person a $53m liability. We are not doing that again.”

Kelly, 64, compiled a 34-14 grounds successful Baton Rouge and won astir 71% of his games, but his teams faltered erstwhile it mattered most. LSU’s promising 4-0 commencement this play disintegrated into 3 losses successful 4 games, and fans chanted “Fire Kelly” during Saturday’s defeat. By Sunday night, he was gone.

“When Coach Kelly arrived astatine LSU 4 years ago, we had precocious hopes that he would lead america to aggregate SEC and nationalist championships,” Woodward said successful announcing nan firing. “Ultimately, nan occurrence astatine nan level that LSU demands simply did not materialize.”

Landry said he met pinch assemblage leaders astatine nan governor’s mansion that aforesaid nighttime to talk nan ineligible and financial fallout. Because LSU is portion of nan state’s higher-education system, portion of Kelly’s net was publically funded, though astir came from donors and sponsorships. The politician said his interest was “the fiscal effect of firing a coach nether a unspeakable contract” and nan cognition that nan nationalist would beryllium near footing nan bill. “I was not happy that we were raising summons prices while having a losing play and paying a coach $100m without nan results,” he said.

Woodward, an LSU postgraduate who has led nan athletics section since 2019, defended nan move successful a short statement, saying nan schoolhouse would “continue to discuss [Kelly’s] separation and activity toward a way that is amended for some parties”. Kelly’s buyout is believed to beryllium astir $54m. Landry, however, based on that accountability must beryllium written into immoderate early deal. “We’re going to prime a coach and we’re going to make judge that coach is successful, compensated properly, and held to metrics,” he said. “I’m tired of rewarding nonaccomplishment successful this state and leaving nan taxpayers to ft nan bill.”

Kelly’s exit continues a tumultous play for awesome assemblage programs. Penn State fired James Franklin earlier this month, followed by Florida’s dismissal of Billy Napier a week later. Across nan country, astatine slightest half a twelve universities person already parted ways pinch their caput coaches earlier November. LSU named subordinate caput coach Frank Wilson arsenic interim caput coach for nan remainder of nan play while a action committee, appointed by nan LSU Board of Supervisors, originates its hunt for a imperishable replacement.

Kelly’s four-year grounds stands successful stark opposition to his predecessors. Nick Saban, Les Miles and Ed Orgeron each won nationalist championships wrong their first 4 seasons successful Baton Rouge. Kelly’s tenure produced 3 insignificant vessel appearances but nary College Football Playoff berths, moreover arsenic he oversaw backmost Jayden Daniels’s rise to a Heisman Trophy.

The politician insisted he has thing individual against Kelly, describing him arsenic “a bully man” but 1 who “just wasn’t nan correct fresh anymore”. What astir frustrates him, he said, is nan broader inclination of diversion departments handing retired vast, guaranteed contracts to coaches sloppy of performance. “I deliberation nan tone of nan squad needed a change,” he said. “But we’re going to make judge nan adjacent statement makes sense. We’re done penning blank checks.”