Governor Jeff Landry Removes LSU AD Scott Woodward From Coaching Search After Brian Kelly Firing

The 2025 LSU football season has taken a sharp and unexpected turn. Once viewed as a contender in the SEC, the Tigers have stumbled to a 5–3 record and parted ways with head coach Brian Kelly after a humiliating home loss to Texas A&M. The firing not only marks the end of Kelly’s short, turbulent tenure in Baton Rouge but also ignites fresh controversy about how LSU will rebuild from here.

Kelly’s dismissal carries a staggering financial cost. The coach, who signed a 10-year, $95 million deal after leaving Notre Dame in 2021, is reportedly owed more than $50 million in buyout money — one of the largest payouts in college football history. That financial burden, combined with previous buyouts for former coaches, has intensified scrutiny over LSU’s athletic leadership and spending practices.

Adding to the upheaval, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced on Wednesday that athletic director Scott Woodward will not oversee the search for Kelly’s replacement. Instead, the university’s Board of Supervisors will create a special committee to lead the process.

Landry’s public statement marks an extraordinary level of political involvement in LSU athletics, underscoring the growing tension between state officials and university leadership amid concerns about fiscal accountability and decision-making.

1. Governor Landry Steps In Amid Financial Fallout

During a press conference in Baton Rouge, Landry made his position crystal clear: Woodward will have no role in selecting LSU’s next football coach. The governor cited financial mismanagement — specifically the massive buyouts owed to Kelly and previous head coach Ed Orgeron — as the primary reason for his decision. “No. I can tell you, Scott Woodward is not selecting the next coach right now,” Landry said. “Hell, I would let Donald Trump select it before I let him do it. The Board of Supervisors will devise a committee and find us a coach.” Landry’s comments reflect widespread frustration among state leaders and LSU supporters who have grown weary of the athletic department’s costly missteps. Kelly’s buyout, estimated at $53 million, follows the $17 million paid to Orgeron in 2021, pushing LSU’s recent coaching liabilities into record-setting territory. The governor’s direct involvement — especially in the absence of a university president — highlights how intertwined LSU football has become with state politics. The program is not only Louisiana’s most visible sports entity but also a major source of public pride and financial investment.

2. Criticism of Woodward’s Leadership Mounts

Woodward, who earned praise for his ability to attract high-profile coaches, is now facing criticism for the financial implications of those same bold moves. His hires — including Kelly at LSU and Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M before that — have resulted in two of the largest coaching buyouts in college football history. Landry pointed to that trend in his remarks, saying, “We are not going down a failed path. This is a pattern. The guy here now wrote that contract that cost Texas A&M $70-something million. Right now, we’ve got a $53 million liability. We are not doing that again.” He went further, saying LSU would implement new standards for its next head coach, including performance-based metrics and stricter contractual safeguards. “We’re going to make sure that he’s compensated properly, and we’re going to put metrics on it because I’m tired of rewarding failure in this country and leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill,” Landry added. While the governor stopped short of naming potential candidates, his comments suggest a push for a more fiscally conservative, results-oriented approach to athletic leadership — a sharp departure from Woodward’s star-driven hiring strategy.

3. A Political Power Shift at LSU

Landry’s decision effectively sidelines Woodward, one of the most influential athletic directors in college sports, and represents a striking power shift within LSU’s administration. Traditionally, football coaching hires at major universities are handled internally by the athletic department, with limited political interference. However, with no permanent university president in place, Landry has used his platform to assert authority and ensure that state oversight extends into LSU’s most visible program. The move is being closely watched across the SEC, as few public officials have taken such an active role in a major university’s athletic decisions. The Board of Supervisors is now tasked with assembling a search committee that will identify and interview candidates for the Tigers’ next head coach. The process is expected to emphasize financial prudence and program stability after years of volatility under Woodward’s leadership. Still, questions remain about whether political involvement will stabilize LSU football or add new layers of complexity to an already high-pressure search. For now, the program stands at a crossroads — one that could redefine how it operates for years to come.