Copyright CBS Sports
LSU is in the process of parting ways with athletic director Scott Woodward, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. This significant change atop the Tigers' organization comes as amid a football coaching search that will hire a replacement for Brian Kelly, who was ousted from the program last Sunday. Woodward had fallen out of favor with LSU stakeholders, including Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who said Woodward would not hire the Tigers' next coach due to his track record of owing colossal buyouts to fired team leaders. Kelly existed LSU with a massive $53 million buyout, the second largest in college football history. LSU and Woodward are in the process of finalizing an exit agreement, per Yahoo Sports, which reports that longtime athletic administrator Verge Ausberry is expected to serve as the university's interim AD. Ausbery served as executive deputy athletic director under Woodward and LSU's executive director of external relations. Landry indicated that, instead of Woodward, the LSU Board of Supervisors would oversee the search for a new football coach. "We are not going down a failed path," Landry said. "And I wanted to tell you something. This is a pattern. The guy that wrote [Kelly's] contract cost Texas A&M $70-something million. We have a $53 million liability. I believe that we are going to find a great coach … the board of supervisors are going to come up with a committee and they're going to find us a coach." Woodward arrived at LSU in 2019 after a run at Texas A&M in which he hired Jimbo Fisher away from Florida State. The contract he gave to Fisher resulted in the largest buyout in college football history and left the Aggies on the hook for $76 million when they fired him during the 2023 season.
