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Jeff Landry vs Scott Woodward: Brian Kelly's LSU firing triggers row; ‘I’ll let Trump…'
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is getting directly involved in LSU's hiring, after the program fired famed coach Brian Kelly earlier this month
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is getting directly involved in LSU's hiring, after the program fired famed coach Brian Kelly earlier this month. The Republican even brought up President Donald Trump while warning Scott Woodward, declaring that the LSU Athletic Director will not be involved in the hiring of the new head coach.
“I can tell you right now, [LSU Athletic Director] Scott Woodward is not selecting the next coach. Hell, I’ll let Donald Trump do it before I let him do it," Landry said at an event on Wednesday.
However, Landry did not get into specifics of the hiring process. He suggested that the Board of Supervisors might form a committee. This comes after LSU football let go of Brian Kelly post a disappointing start to the SEC season. The school is now set to pay his $53 million buyout, which Landry called a ‘liability’.
“I believe that we’re gonna find a great coach,” Landry said. “I’m tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill.”
Woodward has been at LSU since 2019. He previously worked in Baton Rouge, Texas A&M, when it hired football coach Jimbo Fisher. Fisher was also fired, and Texas had to pay a whopping $77 million buyout.
Woodward was no longer working at Texas A&M when Fisher was fired. Brian Kelly was fired on the heels of Saturday night's 49-25 loss to No. 3 Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium, a second straight loss, and third in four games for LSU (5-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference).
“When Coach Kelly arrived at LSU four years ago, we had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge,” Woodward said. “Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize."
(With AP inputs)
