Copyright Baton Rouge Advocate
LSU and athletic director Scott Woodward are finalizing his separation from the school in the wake of coach Brian Kelly's firing and criticism from Gov. Jeff Landry, sources confirmed Thursday night to The Advocate. Longtime LSU athletic official Verge Ausberry will serve as the interim athletic director, a source confirmed. The news was first reported by ESPN and Yahoo Sports. The decision comes one day after Landry announced at a press conference on Wednesday that Woodward would not be allowed to select LSU's next football coach, citing the nearly $54 million buyout the school owes Kelly due to his firing. "Hell, I'll let Donald Trump select him before I let him do it," Landry said in a press conference on Wednesday. Woodward was hired as LSU's athletic director in April of 2019 and guided an athletic department that won six national championships under his purview. The six national championships include its last football title in 2019. LSU has won two baseball national titles, the school's first-ever women's basketball and gymnastics national championships and a men's outdoor track championship. But his legacy may be remembered for one decision that didn't pan out: His decision to hire Kelly. Woodward hired Kelly in December of 2021, handing him a 10-year, $100 million contract to replace coach Ed Orgeron. Kelly came to LSU with an impressive resume, having led Notre Dame to the national championship game, the College Football Playoff and been the winningest coach in program history. But the Kelly era didn't pan out, lasting fewer than four seasons and coming to a close on Sunday when he was fired less than 24 hours after the Tigers lost 49-25 to Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium. LSU never came close to reaching the playoff under Kelly. His most successful campaign was his first season in 2022, when LSU reached the SEC Championship Game and took down Alabama in Tiger Stadium. Besides the Kelly hire, Woodward found championship-level success by enlisting Jay Johnson to lead the baseball program and Kim Mulkey to head women's basketball. Johnson had led Arizona to the College World Series twice, including the College World Series final in 2016, before he was hired as LSU's coach in June of 2021. Since taking over in Baton Rouge, Johnson has won two national championships in four seasons and coached three players who became top-3 picks in the MLB Draft. Mulkey was hired by LSU in April of 2021 after leading Baylor to three national championships in 21 seasons at the helm. It took just two seasons for her to win a fourth title at LSU in 2023 before reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in each of the next two seasons. Woodward also hired men's basketball coach Matt McMahon and gymnastics coach Jay Clark. McMahon was appointed in March of 2022 from Murray State. But heading into his fourth season in charge of LSU's program, McMahon has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament. Clark guided the gymnastics program to its first national title in 2024 after he was promoted from his position as co-head coach in 2021. Before arriving at LSU, Woodward was the athletics director at Texas A&M from 2016-2019. His most notable hire was prying national championship-winning coach Jimbo Fisher from Florida State to become the next coach in College Station. Fisher's tenure with Texas A&M didn't work out. The Aggies fired him after the 2023 season, paying him the largest buyout in college football history at $77 million. Woodward has since been accused of putting Texas A&M on the hook for Fisher's massive buyout, but Fisher had signed a contract extension in 2021 — after Woodward had left for LSU — that extended his deal through the 2031 season and paid him $9 million per year. It was a raise from the 10-year, $75 million contract he originally signed under Woodward. Woodward was the athletic director at Washington from 2008 to 2015 before taking the same job at Texas A&M. The most notable hire he made in his tenure in Seattle was hiring coach Chris Petersen away from Boise State. After winning 92 games and the Fiesta Bowl with the Broncos, Petersen led the Huskies to three New Year's Six bowl appearances and the College Football Playoff in six years before retiring after the 2019 season.
