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louisiana Governor Jeff Landry intends to stop LSU Athletic director Scott Woodward is hesitant to hire the Tigers’ next football coach.
“Hey, I will give donald trump Pick him before I let him do that,'” Landry said of Woodward during a news conference. Baton Rouge On Wednesday mainly other government matters will be discussed.
Woodward, who announced the firing of coach Brian Kelly on Sunday night, has so far declined to comment on Landry’s comments.
Landry confirmed Sunday his involvement in the discussions that led to the firing of Kelly, who was hired by LSU after the 2021 football season and signed a guaranteed contract paying him nearly $100 million over 10 years.
LSU still owes Kelly more than $52 million through 2031, although that figure could be reduced or offset by money Kelly earns in a subsequent coaching job.
“I hosted a meeting at the governor’s mansion to talk about the legalities, to talk about the cost, to talk about who would pay for it,” he said. “It was a meeting to discuss the validity of the contract.”
“My role is about the financial impact of firing a coach who is under a terrible contract,” Landry said. “I just care about what the burden will be on taxpayers.”
Historically, LSU’s athletic department has been self-funding and does not use public funds. First NCAA Following a rule change allowing college athletes to be paid, LSU’s athletic department will sometimes make seven-figure contributions to the university’s academic operations.
In the case of Kelly’s contract, anonymous private donors have promised to cover the cost of the purchase.
“If big billionaires want to spend all that kind of money, there’s no problem,” Landry said. “But if I have to find $53 million… it’s not going to be a pleasant conversation.”
Kelly, who was fired eight games into his fourth season, went 34-14 at LSU, which ended with a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M at Tiger Stadium last Saturday. Running backs coach Frank Wilson has been selected as Kelly’s interim replacement.
Since Woodward has been LSU’s athletic director, the football program has bought out former coach Ed Orgeron for about $17 million in 2021, and now must pay off the purchase of Kelly, the largest in the history of college sports.
Texas A&M’s $77 million buyout of former coach Jimbo Fisher, who was fired in 2023, is the largest.
Woodward was Texas A&M’s athletic director when Fisher was hired to coach the Aggies in December 2017. But Woodward was already at LSU for two years when A&M gave Fisher a contract extension in 2021, effectively doubling the cost of his buyout.
Nevertheless, Landry blamed Woodward for Fisher’s horse-trading.
“It’s a pattern,” Landry said, suggesting that Woodward “cost Texas A&M $77 million.”
“Right now, we owe $53 million,” he added. “We’re not doing that again.”
Landry said that LSU’s Board of Supervisors – whose members are appointed to six-year terms by the current governors – will form a search committee to find LSU’s next coach.
“I’m not going to pick the next coach, but I can promise you that we will pick a coach and we will make sure that coach is successful,” Landry said. “We’re going to make sure he gets compensated fairly.”
But Landry also stressed that the contract would be heavy on performance-based incentives and light on guarantees, “because I’m tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill.”
Landry has appointed nine of the 18 members of the Board of Supervisors since taking office in January 2024 and will be able to appoint four more in 2026.
The governor condemned sports agents, particularly those representing the most sought-after college coaches. Kelly was represented by Trace Armstrong, Fisher was represented by Jimmy Sexton.
Landry said, “This is ridiculous. Attorneys would be fired for the way these agents operate.” “It’s really time for the NCAA to put some guardrails on college sports.”
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