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LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey was "heartbroken" Thursday after learning that the man who brought her home to Louisiana -- athletic director Scott Woodward -- had been fired by the university. Mulkey found out about the decision during the Tigers' exhibition win against Langston, according to associate head coach Bob Starkey. "It made its way to the bench," Starkey said after the game, filling in for Mulkey's press conference. "... Scott has a deep love for coaches and student-athletes and the people that work for him. He works incredibly hard to make sure we have the resources. He has a passionate love about this university and about this state. We, and me personally, are a lot better for him." LSU announced Thursday night that it had finalized a separation agreement with Woodward, ending his six-year tenure as athletic director. Verge Ausberry, a longtime administrator and Woodward's deputy, was named interim athletic director. The Politics of Purple and Gold: How Gov. Jeff Landry's power play took down LSU's AD -- and what comes next John Talty Woodward's departure came just days after the university fired football coach Brian Kelly, and one day after Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry publicly criticized Woodward for the size of Kelly's 10-year, $95 million contract. Kelly's buyout is estimated at $53 million -- the second-largest in college football history -- after LSU cut ties with him eight games into his fourth season. Landry also said this week that Woodward would not be involved in the search for Kelly's replacement, signaling that a change in leadership was likely. Woodward brought Mulkey to LSU, but also faced criticism For Mulkey, the decision hits close to home. Woodward was responsible for one of LSU's most significant coaching hires when he brought her to Baton Rouge from Baylor in 2021. He later signed her to a 10-year, $32 million contract extension, making her the highest-paid coach in women's college basketball. Under Mulkey, LSU captured its first national championship in 2023 and has quickly become one of the nation's premier programs. "In 40 years of collegiate coaching, I've worked for two phenomenal athletic directors," Starkey said. "One was Skip Bertman. The other one was Scott Woodward." Woodward's tenure at LSU was marked by major hires across multiple sports, including Mulkey, baseball coach Jay Johnson and gymnastics coach Jay Clark -- all of whom went on to win national titles. But his big-spending approach also drew scrutiny. The costly buyouts tied to football coaches ultimately overshadowed his successes in other programs. Before joining LSU in 2019, Woodward served as athletic director at Washington and Texas A&M, where he also made headline-grabbing hires, including Jimbo Fisher and Chris Petersen. Despite the upheaval at the top of LSU athletics, Mulkey's team showed no signs of distraction Thursday night. The Tigers dominated Langston, 121-41, in their final preseason tune-up. Starkey said Mulkey has made sure her players stay grounded and communicate openly amid the department's leadership changes. "Kim doesn't sweep anything under the rug," he said. "She makes sure we have conversations about it and I think that really helps." As LSU begins its regular season next week, Mulkey and her team will continue forward without the athletic director who brought her back to Louisiana.
