By TODD HORNE, EXECUTIVE EDITOR

LSU’s Board of Supervisors is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. Thursday with a loaded Athletics Committee agenda that includes employment agreements and term sheets for several of the most important figures in the athletic department, including vice president and athletic director Verge Ausberry, men’s basketball coach Will Wade, football general manager Billy Glasscock, Senior Deputy AD/Executive Director of External Relations for the LSU System Heath Schroyer and key men’s and women’s basketball assistants.

Board approval is still required. But in practical terms, once these items reach the published agenda, approval is usually a formality unless something unusual happens.

That makes Thursday’s meeting less about whether LSU will approve the deals and more about what the deals reveal.

And what they reveal is this: LSU’s athletics financial reset did not end with football.

In December 2025, LSU approved a seven-year, 91 million dollars contract for football coach Lane Kiffin, contracts for a number of Kiffin’s assistants, a 54 million dollars buyout for former head football coach Brian Kelly and a more than 6.5 million dollars buyout for ousted athletic director Scott Woodward.

That was the football and leadership rupture.

Thursday’s agenda is the next stage: LSU is now being asked to approve approximately 46.6 million dollars in guaranteed salary and supplemental compensation across the terms of athletics employment agreements and term sheets for the department’s top administrative structure, football personnel operation, men’s basketball rebuild and women’s basketball continuity.

The Board agenda lists Athletics Committee items for Ausberry as vice president and athletic director, Schroyer as Senior Deputy AD/Executive Director of External Relations for the LSU System, Glasscock as football general manager, Wade as men’s basketball coach, men’s basketball assistants Johnny Jones, Rick Stansbury and Damon Stoudamire, women’s basketball associate head coach Bob Starkey and women’s basketball assistant Fitzroy Anthony. It also includes proposed increases in men’s and women’s basketball ticket prices, parking and Tradition Fund charges.

That combination is not accidental.

LSU is committing more public athletic department money at the top of the enterprise. LSU is also preparing to generate more revenue from the products it is investing in.

This is the real story going before the Board.

Not one contract.

Not one coach.

Not one buyout.

A continuing, department-wide financial reset.

The Board packet reads like a contract agenda. The math reads like a strategic plan.

The first-year guaranteed compensation attached to the nine athletics personnel items totals approximately 9.025 million dollars.

That number is important, but it understates the size of the commitment.

Across the full terms being approved, the guaranteed salary and supplemental compensation total is approximately 46.6 million dollars. That does not include postseason bonuses, relocation incentives, vehicle allowances, temporary housing, benefits, club memberships or other employment-related costs.

It also does not include broader men’s basketball transition costs that are part of the same financial reality but are not on Thursday’s agenda for approval.

LSU already paid North Carolina State a negotiated 4 million dollars buyout to bring Wade back. LSU also owes fired men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon 8 million dollars under his contract. Those two numbers help explain the real cost of the men’s basketball reset, but they should not be confused with what the Board is being asked to approve Thursday.

There may also be additional staff buyouts or transition costs not disclosed in the Board packet.

So the technically clean Board-agenda number is this:

Approximately 46.6 million dollars in guaranteed salary and supplemental compensation across the athletics employment agreements and term sheets scheduled for approval.

The broader athletics reset is clearly more expensive.

The full number is not knowable from the public packet alone.

That distinction matters.

But it does not weaken the story. It sharpens it.

LSU is not simply making a one-year expense decision. It is committing future money. It is locking in a new leadership structure. It is deciding that the cost of competing in this market now requires professional-grade administration, professional-grade roster management and professional-grade basketball infrastructure.

Schools talk with words.

They confess with money.

LSU’s money is confessing now.

This is the second wave of LSU’s athletics reset.

The scale is easier to understand when Thursday’s agenda is placed beside what LSU already approved in December.

The December Board action was about football, leadership change and the cost of moving on. LSU committed to Kiffin at 91 million dollars over seven years, approved contracts for members of his staff, approved Kelly’s 54 million dollars buyout and approved Woodward’s more than 6.5 million dollars buyout.

That was not normal turnover.

That was a financial detonation followed by a football rebuild.

Thursday’s agenda is different, but connected. It is not about one fired coach or one new football hire. It is about building the professional structure around the department after the rupture.

Ausberry at the top.

Schroyer in external relations for the LSU System.

Glasscock as football general manager.

Wade and his staff to revive men’s basketball.

Starkey and Anthony to help protect women’s basketball under Kim Mulkey.

The December approvals showed LSU was willing to spend to change direction.

Thursday’s agenda shows LSU is willing to spend to build the structure around that new direction.

The reset starts with Ausberry.

Verge Ausberry’s agreement as vice president and athletic director is the top of the structure. His first-year guaranteed compensation is 1.5 million dollars, with the salary structure rising in later years.

That matters because the modern LSU athletic director is not just a coach hirer or public spokesman. That job is now a business-executive role inside a public university.

It requires hiring decisions, donor management, government relationships, media strategy, facility planning, ticket pricing, contract risk, coach buyouts, revenue growth and public accountability.

In plain English, the athletic director is now managing a sports enterprise.

That is why Ausberry’s deal belongs at the center of this story. LSU is not just approving his title. It is paying to stabilize the person responsible for leading the department through a period when every mistake costs more than it used to.

The wrong coach costs millions.

The wrong roster strategy costs wins.

The wrong pricing strategy costs fan goodwill.

The wrong revenue strategy leaves the department exposed.

The old model is gone. The athletic director’s office has to operate like a C-suite.

Schroyer’s full title tells the bigger story.

Heath Schroyer’s term sheet is smaller in dollars, but not small in meaning. His annual compensation is 400,000 dollars and his full title — Senior Deputy AD/Executive Director of External Relations for the LSU System — may be one of the most important signals in the entire Board packet.

That is not a routine administrative title.

That is not merely a basketball title.

That is a revenue, relationship and institutional-alignment title.

The words “External Relations for the LSU System” matter. They suggest LSU is building a more deliberate bridge between athletics, donors, political relationships, institutional stakeholders, commercial partners and the broader LSU System. In the new world of college athletics, that kind of role is not ornamental. It is central.

The athletic department does not just need coaches anymore.

It needs people who can move relationships.

It needs people who can create confidence.

It needs people who can connect athletics to revenue.

It needs people who understand that LSU’s sports business now lives in the same world as donor strategy, media positioning, legislative scrutiny, corporate sponsorship and public-university politics.

That is why Schroyer’s title is huge.

It also matters that Wade’s term sheet places him in the reporting structure under Schroyer unless Schroyer is no longer employed by LSU. That makes Schroyer part of the architecture around Wade and the men’s basketball rebuild.

And that is the point.

LSU did not just rehire Wade and hope the building would figure itself out. It created an executive structure around him. Schroyer’s presence tells you LSU understands men’s basketball has to be rebuilt as a business product, not just a team with a schedule.

The program needs ticket demand.

It needs sponsor energy.

It needs donor confidence.

It needs a reason for the PMAC to matter again.

It needs someone who can help turn relationships into revenue and attention into support.

Schroyer is not decoration.

He is infrastructure.

Glasscock shows how professional football has become.

Billy Glasscock’s agreement as football general manager carries 1 million dollars in annual compensation.

That number should stop people.

A college football general manager at 1 million dollars tells you exactly where the sport has gone. This is no longer the old model where the head coach, recruiting coordinator and position coaches manage the entire talent operation. College football has become a roster market, and LSU is paying for someone to manage it like one.

The football GM role is about player personnel, roster construction, scholarship allocation, transfer-portal strategy, analytics, staff organization and the constant movement of players in and out of the program.

That is professional sports logic.

Not similar to professional sports.

Professional sports logic.

LSU is paying Glasscock like a front-office executive because the football roster is now one of the most valuable financial assets in the department. If football falls behind, the whole athletic department feels it.

Football still drives the machine.

Glasscock’s contract is LSU admitting that the machine now needs a general manager.

The biggest pivot is men’s basketball.

Wade’s deal is the largest individual item in the basketball reset. His first-year guaranteed compensation is 4 million dollars, and his deal rises to 4.5 million dollars annually in the final years.

But Wade’s salary is only the beginning.

Rick Stansbury is scheduled at 750,000 dollars. Johnny Jones is scheduled at 400,000 dollars. Damon Stoudamire is scheduled at 200,000 dollars.

That puts Wade and those three assistants at approximately 5.35 million dollars in first-year guaranteed compensation.

Across the life of their terms, the men’s basketball coaching structure alone represents roughly 31.9 million dollars in guaranteed salary and supplemental compensation before bonuses, benefits, buyouts or other employment-related costs.

Then come the transition costs that are not on Thursday’s agenda but cannot be ignored in any honest financial analysis.

LSU already paid 4 million dollars to get Wade out of his North Carolina State contract. LSU owes McMahon 8 million dollars after firing him. Those are not Board-approval items Thursday. They are not part of the 46.6 million dollars agenda total. But they are part of the financial context around LSU’s decision to restart men’s basketball around Wade.

That means the men’s basketball reset is not just expensive.

It is aggressive.

And it should be described that way.

LSU is paying the cost of failure and the cost of acceleration at the same time. McMahon’s buyout is the cost of the last plan not working. Wade’s NC State buyout is the cost of moving fast. Wade’s salary is the cost of belief. His assistant staff is the cost of execution.

And Schroyer’s external-relations role is part of the cost of turning that investment into a functioning business and institutional strategy.

That is the clearest financial confession in the packet.

LSU no longer wants men’s basketball to be a side room in the athletic department.

It wants it to be a power center again.

Why this makes business sense — if Wade wins quickly.

The financial case for Wade is not complicated.

LSU believes he changes the return on every dollar.

That does not mean the risk disappears. It means LSU believes the upside is large enough to absorb the risk.

A revived men’s basketball program can become a major winter revenue asset. It can drive ticket sales, premium seating, sponsorships, donor engagement, hospitality, merchandise, media attention and game-night energy in Baton Rouge.

Football is still the engine.

But men’s basketball, when healthy, can become a second commercial platform. It gives the department another inventory base. Another donor story. Another event product. Another way to keep LSU Athletics financially active between football and baseball.

That is why the ticket-pricing items matter.

The Board agenda does not just include personnel approvals. It includes men’s and women’s basketball ticket, parking and Tradition Fund increases. LSU Athletics estimates the proposed men’s basketball ticket increase would generate approximately 1.45 million dollars in additional ticket revenue based on past attendance. For women’s basketball, LSU estimates approximately 586,600 dollars in added ticket revenue and 17,250 dollars in added parking revenue based on past attendance.

That is the business model in one agenda.

Spend more on the product.

Charge more for access to the product.

Then hope the product becomes good enough that the market accepts the increase.

That is the gamble.

And with Wade, the gamble is immediate. Nobody spends this kind of money to ask for patience. LSU is buying acceleration. It is buying relevance. It is buying the right to expect men’s basketball to matter again quickly.

Women’s basketball continuity is part of the same reset.

The men’s basketball spending will get most of the attention, but the women’s basketball items should not be treated as routine.

Bob Starkey’s agreement is worth 425,000 dollars annually. Fitzroy Anthony’s term sheet is worth 350,000 dollars annually.

Together, that is 775,000 dollars in first-year guaranteed compensation tied to Kim Mulkey’s staff structure.

That matters.

Mulkey has already turned LSU women’s basketball into a national brand and one of the department’s most visible assets. LSU cannot afford to rebuild men’s basketball by weakening the women’s program or treating its staff as an afterthought.

This is where the reset becomes clearer.

LSU is not choosing only one basketball program. It is trying to fund both sides of the basketball business.

Men’s basketball is being rebuilt.

Women’s basketball is being protected.

That is the right read.

Starkey represents continuity. Anthony represents staff investment. Together, they show LSU understands the women’s program is not just a successful team. It is a brand asset, a recruiting asset, a media asset and a revenue-adjacent force inside the department.

In the old world, women’s basketball was often discussed mostly as an expense.

At LSU under Mulkey, that framing no longer works.

It is part of the department’s identity.

The money is not state general fund or tuition money, but it is still public money.

The packet’s athletics agreements and term sheets use the familiar funding language: the obligations are not general obligations of the University or the State of Louisiana and are payable from LSU Athletics self-generated funds and affiliated foundation funds.

That distinction matters.

But it should not be used to confuse the public.

LSU often emphasizes “self-generated funds” to create the impression that the money is somehow outside public scrutiny. It is not. These are still financial commitments made by a public university athletic department, approved by a public governing board, attached to public employment agreements and connected to a public institution.

This is not state general fund money.

It is not tuition money.

But it is still public money.

And because it is public money, the public has every right to understand how much is being committed, why it is being committed, what revenue assumptions support it and what LSU expects to receive in return.

That means the department has to generate the revenue to support the decisions.

It has to sell tickets.

It has to grow sponsorships.

It has to cultivate donors.

It has to manage premium inventory.

It has to keep football healthy.

It has to make basketball matter.

It has to pay coaches, staff, buyouts, facilities and operations without losing control of the balance sheet.

And that is why the External Relations for the LSU System title matters so much. LSU is not just spending on coaches. It is spending on the machinery that has to help turn athletics into a larger, more connected revenue and relationship enterprise.

That is why this is not just a sports story.

It is a public-money, financial-management story.

The pressure is now built into the structure.

The key issue is not whether LSU can approve these deals.

Of course it can.

The issue is whether LSU can produce enough return on the structure it is building.

Ausberry has to lead like the CEO of a modern athletic department.

Schroyer has to help turn external relationships into revenue, support and institutional alignment.

Glasscock has to help football remain the financial engine.

Wade has to win quickly enough to justify the buyout, the salary, the staff and the ticket-pricing strategy.

Stansbury, Jones and Stoudamire have to help convert spending into roster performance.

Starkey and Anthony have to help Mulkey keep women’s basketball nationally powerful.

That is the pressure.

LSU is not approving isolated contracts. It is approving a coordinated bet on leadership, external relations, revenue, roster control and basketball relevance.

The department is spending because the cost of standing still is now higher than the cost of moving.

That is the modern college athletics reality.

The programs that hesitate lose talent.

The programs that underfund basketball lose relevance.

The programs that treat football roster management like an old recruiting office lose control.

The programs that lack external revenue strategy fall behind.

LSU is trying not to fall behind.

The bottom line

The Board packet is not just a list of names and salaries.

It is a blueprint.

December was the football reset.

April is the administrative and basketball reset.

Together, they show LSU is no longer operating its athletic department like a traditional college sports office. It is building something more expensive, more professional, more dependent on revenue growth and more deserving of public scrutiny.

Thursday’s agenda alone represents approximately 46.6 million dollars in guaranteed salary and supplemental compensation across the athletics terms being approved.

The broader reset costs more than the public agenda can fully show.

That is the real story.

LSU is locking in a vice president and athletic director, building external-relations capacity for the LSU System, paying seven figures for a football general manager, rebuilding men’s basketball around Wade and protecting women’s basketball continuity around Mulkey.

This is not casual spending.

This is not routine approval.

This is LSU admitting that the new era of college athletics requires a different level of structure, a different level of funding, a different level of external alignment, a different level of revenue production and a different level of public scrutiny.

The money is the message.

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LSU Athletics Employment Agreements and Term Sheets

April 23, 2026 LSU Board of Supervisors Agenda

This document summarizes the individual LSU Athletics employment agreements and term sheets scheduled for Board of Supervisors approval in the April 23, 2026 meeting packet. The agenda items cover nine individuals: Verge Ausberry, Heath Schroyer, Billy Glasscock, Will Wade, Johnny Jones, Rick Stansbury, Damon Stoudamire, Robert “Bob” Starkey and Fitzroy Anthony.

The packet repeatedly states that these obligations are not general obligations of LSU or the State of Louisiana and are payable from LSU Athletics self-generated funds and affiliated foundation funds. No state general fund or tuition dollars are to be used.

Quick Comparison

Person	Role	Term	Annual Compensation
Verge Ausberry	Vice President / Athletics Director	2025-2030	$1.5M, rising higher
Heath Schroyer	Senior Deputy AD / External Relations	2026-2029	$400K
Billy Glasscock	Football General Manager	2025-2029	$1M
Will Wade	Men’s Basketball Head Coach	2026-2033	$4M rising to $4.5M
Johnny Jones	Assistant Head Men’s Basketball Coach	2026-2028	$400K
Rick Stansbury	Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach	2026-2028	$750K
Damon Stoudamire	Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach	2026-2028	$200K
Robert “Bob” Starkey	Associate Head Women’s Basketball Coach	2026-2029	$425K
Fitzroy Anthony	Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach	2026-2028	$350K

1. Verge Ausberry — Vice President and Athletics Director

Position	Vice President and Athletics Director
Board item	Request from LSU Athletics to approve Ausberry’s employment agreement.
Term	Start date: Nov. 4, 2025. End date: Dec. 1, 2030 in the Board summary; the employment agreement OCR text shows Dec. 31, 2030, which is a discrepancy worth noting.
Compensation	Total certain compensation in first contract year: $1.5 million.

Component	Amount
Base salary	$400,000
Supplemental compensation, Nov. 4, 2025-Dec. 31, 2027	$1,100,000
Supplemental compensation, Jan. 1, 2028-Dec. 31, 2029	$1,200,000
Supplemental compensation, Jan. 1, 2030-Dec. 31, 2030	$1,300,000

Duties

• Overall vision, leadership and strategic direction for LSU Athletics.
• Long-range planning, competitive excellence and alignment with LSU’s academic mission.
• Compliance with LSU, SEC, NCAA, state and federal rules.
• Coaching-staff management, student-athlete welfare and academic performance.
• NIL education and opportunities, athletics facilities, scheduling, fundraising, donor cultivation, media and public representation, and broader University strategic and governmental-relations initiatives.

Incentives

The agreement includes postseason incentive compensation. For football, the maximum listed is $210,000 per contract year, with amounts tied to SEC title-game participation, SEC championship, bowl/CFP participation and CFP advancement.

• SEC Championship Game participant: $30,000, or SEC champion: $60,000.
• Plus one of the CFP/bowl incentives, including non-CFP bowl, CFP participation and further advancement.

Bottom line

This is not just an athletic director contract. It formalizes Ausberry as Vice President and Athletics Director, pays him at a high-end SEC executive level and ties him directly to the future direction of LSU Athletics during the Kiffin/Wade/Mulkey era.

2. Heath Schroyer — Senior Deputy AD / Executive Director for External Relations

Position	Senior Deputy AD / Executive Director for External Relations for the LSU System
Board item	Request to approve a new term sheet for Schroyer.
Term	Start date: April 1, 2026. End date: June 30, 2029.
Compensation	Total certain compensation: $400,000 annually.

Role significance

The title matters. This is not merely an internal athletics operations job. The title includes External Relations for the LSU System, which suggests Schroyer’s role reaches into fundraising, political and external relations, stakeholder management, public-facing athletics strategy and potentially broader LSU System relationship work.

Incentives / fringe benefits / buyout

The packet section available in the Board materials gives the summary terms but does not show a full detailed term sheet for Schroyer in the same way it does for Wade, Jones, Stansbury, Stoudamire, Starkey and Anthony.

Bottom line

Schroyer is being positioned as a major senior executive inside LSU Athletics and the LSU System’s external-relations structure. The $400,000 number signals a serious administrative appointment, not a routine staff role.

3. Billy Glasscock — Football General Manager

Position	General Manager for LSU football
Board item	Request to approve Glasscock’s employment agreement.
Term	Start date: Nov. 30, 2025. End date: Jan. 31, 2029.
Reporting	Reports directly to the Head Coach of the Team.

Component	Amount
Base salary	$400,000
Supplemental compensation	$600,000
Total annualized compensation	$1,000,000

Duties

• Player personnel oversight, roster management and scholarship allocations.
• Transfer portal strategy and staff hiring, evaluation and retention support.
• Researching trends, analytics and college-football innovations.
• Advising on NIL opportunities and strategy, student-athlete personal branding, and social media/marketing coordination.
• Insurance, welfare and compliance protocols, including NCAA, SEC, Title IX, Title VI and LSU policy compliance.

Postseason incentives

Maximum postseason incentive compensation: $200,000 per contract year.

• SEC Championship Game participant: $25,000, or SEC champion: $50,000.
• Plus one of the following: non-CFP bowl participant ($25,000), CFP First Round ($50,000), CFP Quarterfinal ($75,000), CFP Semifinal ($100,000), CFP National Championship Game ($125,000), or CFP National Champion ($150,000).
• Postseason incentive compensation is payable within 30 days of achievement.

Fringe benefits

• Standard unclassified professional employee benefits.
• Apparel/equipment for team-related duties.
• Either an $800 monthly car allowance or courtesy vehicle.
• No annual leave and no overtime.
• Retirement participation based on eligible compensation and sick leave under LSU policy.
• $25,000 relocation incentive.
• Up to 90 consecutive days of temporary housing, if needed.

Termination / buyout terms

• If LSU terminates Glasscock without cause, LSU owes remaining base salary and supplemental compensation through the remaining term.
• If governing athletics regulations, law or jurisprudence changes to allow a change in compensation available to student-athletes, the liquidated damages are limited to 12 months from termination or the remaining term, whichever is less.
• Glasscock has a duty to mitigate through football-related employment, with LSU receiving a dollar-for-dollar offset for qualifying compensation.
• If LSU terminates for cause, LSU owes no future compensation beyond earned compensation and any earned but unpaid postseason incentive compensation.
• If Glasscock terminates before the end date, he owes LSU three years of base salary plus supplemental compensation if before March 31, 2026; otherwise one year of base salary plus supplemental compensation.
• No liquidated damages are owed if he leaves for a senior-level NFL front-office position, leaves after the final game of the final season covered by the term, or leaves within 90 days of Lane Kiffin no longer serving as head coach.
• If Lane Kiffin ceases to be LSU head coach, LSU can terminate Glasscock’s agreement effective six months after Kiffin’s last day, or earlier by mutual agreement, with no further liability beyond compensation earned before termination.

Bottom line

Glasscock’s deal is one of the most important football contracts in the packet. LSU is paying him $1 million annually because the GM role is now central to roster construction, NIL, personnel movement, portal strategy and the overall business of modern college football.

4. Will Wade — Men’s Basketball Head Coach

Position	Head Basketball Coach at LSU
Board item	Request to approve and ratify Wade’s term sheet.
Term	Start date: March 26, 2026. End date: March 31, 2033.
Reporting	Wade reports directly to the Senior Deputy Athletics Director, presently Heath Schroyer. If Schroyer is no longer employed by LSU, Wade reports directly to the Director of Athletics.

Period	Base salary	Supplemental compensation	Total
March 26, 2026-March 31, 2027	$400,000	$3,600,000	$4,000,000
April 1, 2027-March 31, 2028	$400,000	$3,700,000	$4,100,000
April 1, 2028-March 31, 2029	$400,000	$3,800,000	$4,200,000
April 1, 2029-March 31, 2030	$400,000	$3,900,000	$4,300,000
April 1, 2030-March 31, 2031	$400,000	$4,000,000	$4,400,000
April 1, 2031-March 31, 2033	$400,000	$4,100,000	$4,500,000

LSU termination without cause

LSU owes Wade 75% of the remaining base salary and supplemental compensation that would have been payable over the unexpired term. Payments are made in equal installments over the remaining term. Wade must mitigate by seeking other basketball- or athletics-related employment. LSU gets a dollar-for-dollar offset for compensation he receives during the unexpired term.

LSU termination for cause

If LSU terminates Wade for cause, LSU owes him no further amounts beyond the date of termination. The formal agreement’s cause provisions are to be reasonably consistent with industry standards and existing LSU agreements, especially the head football coach agreement. LSU must provide seven days to cure curable defaults, but only if the default can be cured without significantly damaging LSU’s or Wade’s reputation or creating unreasonable risk to a student-athlete or staff member.

If Wade leaves LSU

Departure date	Liquidated damages
On or before April 1, 2027	$5,000,000
April 2, 2027-April 1, 2028	$4,000,000
April 2, 2028-April 1, 2029	$3,000,000
April 2, 2029-April 1, 2030	$2,000,000
April 2, 2030-April 1, 2032	$1,000,000
April 2, 2032-March 31, 2033	$0

Payment terms: 50% due within 30 days of termination and the remaining 50% within one year.

Postseason incentives

Maximum postseason incentive compensation: $900,000 per contract year.

• SEC regular-season championship, shared or outright: $50,000.
• SEC Championship Game win: $50,000.
• NCAA Tournament ladder: appearance ($50,000), Round of 32 ($100,000), Sweet 16 ($150,000), Elite Eight ($200,000), Final Four ($300,000), National Championship Game appearance ($500,000), National Championship ($800,000).

Coaching recognition incentives

• SEC Coach of the Year: $50,000.
• National Coach of the Year, AP/NABC/Naismith: $100,000.
• Maximum coaching-recognition incentive: $150,000 per contract year.

Fringe benefits

• Standard unclassified professional employee benefits, except annual leave.
• Relocation incentive.
• Temporary housing.
• Courtesy vehicle or stipend.
• Club membership.
• Ticket availability subject to good-faith negotiation.

Prior-employer buyout

LSU will reimburse Wade for financial consequences resulting from voluntary termination of his current employment agreement, including liquidated damages owed to his former employer. LSU may pay the former employer directly. If the payment is treated as taxable compensation, LSU will make Wade reasonably whole through a gross-up payment.

Legal effect

The term sheet is contingent on satisfactory background check and Board approval. The parties aim to present a long-form agreement no later than the June 26, 2026 Board meeting, but once the Board approves the term sheet, it is legally binding even if the parties have not yet executed a comprehensive formal employment agreement.

Bottom line

This is the biggest basketball item in the packet: seven years, starting at $4 million, rising to $4.5 million, with substantial postseason incentives and LSU covering Wade’s prior-employer exit costs.

5. Johnny Jones — Assistant Head Men’s Basketball Coach

Position	Assistant Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Board item	Part of the request to approve term sheets for three men’s basketball assistant coaches: Johnny Jones, Rick Stansbury and Damon Stoudamire.
Term	Start date: no later than April 7, 2026. End date: May 31, 2028 in the term sheet; the Board summary table lists June 30, 2028.
Compensation	$400,000 annually
Reporting	Reports directly to the Men’s Basketball Head Coach.

LSU termination without cause

If LSU terminates the coach without cause, LSU owes 50% of the remaining base salary and supplemental compensation, if any, that would have been payable over the remaining term. Payments are made in equal monthly installments over the remaining term. The coach has a duty to mitigate and seek another coaching or professional position at market value.

Wade clause

If Will Wade ceases to be head coach, LSU can terminate the agreement effective six months after Wade’s last day, or earlier by mutual agreement, with no further liability beyond earned compensation.

LSU termination for cause

If LSU terminates for cause, LSU owes no further amounts beyond the end of the month in which the coach is terminated.

If the coach leaves LSU

• 50% of remaining compensation if he accepts a non-head coaching position with another SEC basketball program.
• 25% of remaining compensation if he accepts a non-head coaching position in another college basketball program, a professional basketball league, or terminates for another reason.
• No liquidated damages are owed if he accepts a collegiate or professional head coaching position, leaves after the final season, or leaves within 30 days of Wade’s last day as LSU head coach.

Incentives

Eligible for postseason incentive compensation under LSU’s Additional Compensation Policy for Post-Season Athletics, as if he were a non-contracted employee. If payable, it is paid within 60 days of achievement.

Fringe benefits

• Standard unclassified professional employee benefits, except annual leave.
• $800 monthly vehicle allowance.
• Up to 14 consecutive days temporary housing.
• $25,000 relocation incentive, payable within 30 days of the effective date and subject to repayment if he does not remain employed for at least two full years.

Prior-employer buyout

LSU will authorize reimbursement for financial consequences from terminating Jones’ current employment agreement, including liquidated damages. LSU may pay the former employer directly and, if taxable, gross him up to make him reasonably whole.

Bottom line

Jones’ deal is not just a normal assistant contract. LSU is paying him $400,000, protecting itself against an SEC lateral move, and tying the deal heavily to Wade’s tenure.

6. Rick Stansbury — Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach

Position	Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Board item	Part of the request to approve term sheets for three men’s basketball assistant coaches: Johnny Jones, Rick Stansbury and Damon Stoudamire.
Term	Start date: no later than April 2, 2026. End date: May 31, 2028 in the term sheet; the Board summary table lists June 30, 2028.
Compensation	$750,000 annually
Reporting	Reports directly to the Men’s Basketball Head Coach.

LSU termination without cause

If LSU terminates the coach without cause, LSU owes 50% of the remaining base salary and supplemental compensation, if any, that would have been payable over the remaining term. Payments are made in equal monthly installments over the remaining term. The coach has a duty to mitigate and seek another coaching or professional position at market value.

Wade clause

If Will Wade ceases to be head coach, LSU can terminate the agreement effective six months after Wade’s last day, or earlier by mutual agreement, with no further liability beyond earned compensation.

LSU termination for cause

If LSU terminates for cause, LSU owes no further amounts beyond the end of the month in which the coach is terminated.

If the coach leaves LSU

• 50% of remaining compensation if he accepts a non-head coaching position with another SEC basketball program.
• 25% of remaining compensation if he accepts a non-head coaching position in another college basketball program, a professional basketball league, or terminates for another reason.
• No liquidated damages are owed if he accepts a collegiate or professional head coaching position, leaves after the final season, or leaves within 30 days of Wade’s last day as LSU head coach.

Incentives

Eligible for postseason incentive compensation under LSU’s Additional Compensation Policy for Post-Season Athletics, as if he were a non-contracted employee. If payable, it is paid within 60 days of achievement.

Fringe benefits

• Standard unclassified professional employee benefits, except annual leave.
• $800 monthly vehicle allowance.
• Up to 14 consecutive days temporary housing.
• $25,000 relocation incentive, payable within 30 days of the effective date and subject to repayment if he does not remain employed for at least two full years.

Bottom line

At $750,000, Stansbury is being paid like a major strategic hire, not a standard assistant. The title and salary suggest LSU views him as a core stabilizing force for Wade’s staff.

7. Damon Stoudamire — Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach

Position	Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach
Board item	Part of the request to approve term sheets for three men’s basketball assistant coaches: Johnny Jones, Rick Stansbury and Damon Stoudamire.
Term	The Board summary table lists April 7, 2028 as the start date, but the attached term sheet says effective no later than April 7, 2026 and ending June 30, 2028. That appears to be a typo in the Board summary.
Compensation	$200,000 annually
Reporting	Reports directly to the Men’s Basketball Head Coach.

LSU termination without cause

If LSU terminates the coach without cause, LSU owes 50% of the remaining base salary and supplemental compensation, if any, that would have been payable over the remaining term. Payments are made in equal monthly installments over the remaining term. The coach has a duty to mitigate and seek another coaching or professional position at market value.

Wade clause

If Will Wade ceases to be head coach, LSU can terminate the agreement effective six months after Wade’s last day, or earlier by mutual agreement, with no further liability beyond earned compensation.

LSU termination for cause

If LSU terminates for cause, LSU owes no further amounts beyond the end of the month in which the coach is terminated.

If the coach leaves LSU

• 50% of remaining compensation if he accepts a non-head coaching position with another SEC basketball program.
• 25% of remaining compensation if he accepts a non-head coaching position in another college basketball program, a professional basketball league, or terminates for another reason.
• No liquidated damages are owed if he accepts a collegiate or professional head coaching position, leaves after the final season, or leaves within 30 days of Wade’s last day as LSU head coach.

Incentives

Eligible for postseason incentive compensation under LSU’s Additional Compensation Policy for Post-Season Athletics, as if he were a non-contracted employee. If payable, it is paid within 60 days of achievement.

Fringe benefits

• Standard unclassified professional employee benefits, except annual leave.
• $800 monthly vehicle allowance.
• Up to 14 consecutive days temporary housing.
• $20,000 relocation incentive, payable within 30 days of the effective date and subject to repayment if he does not remain employed for at least two full years.

Bottom line

Stoudamire’s number is lower than Jones and Stansbury, but the protection language is the same basic structure. LSU is still guarding against quick lateral movement, especially inside the SEC.

8. Robert “Bob” Starkey — Associate Head Women’s Basketball Coach

Position	Associate Head Coach for LSU women’s basketball
Board item	Request to approve Starkey’s employment agreement.
Term	Start date: July 1, 2026. End date: June 30, 2029. The agreement replaces and supersedes Starkey’s June 17, 2022 employment agreement, as amended Sept. 8, 2023.
Reporting	Reports directly to the Head Coach of the Team, meaning Kim Mulkey.

Component	Amount
Base salary	$400,000
Supplemental compensation	$25,000
Total annualized compensation	$425,000

Duties

• Duties assigned by the head coach or athletics director.
• Team success and student-athlete academic/athletic success.
• Full professional attention to the program.
• NCAA, SEC, LSU and legal compliance.
• Compliance reporting and cooperation with investigations.
• Title IX and Title VI compliance.
• Institutional control, academic standards, graduation goals, ethical conduct and good sportsmanship.

Incentives

If LSU participates in postseason games, Starkey may be eligible for postseason incentive compensation as if he were a non-contracted employee under LSU’s most recent Additional Compensation Policy for Post-Season Athletics. If payable, it is paid within 60 days.

Fringe benefits

• Standard unclassified professional employee benefits.
• No annual leave and no overtime.
• Retirement participation, but LSU retirement contributions apply only to base salary and earned postseason incentive compensation, not supplemental compensation.
• Sick leave under LSU policy.
• Either an $800 monthly car allowance or a courtesy vehicle.

LSU termination without cause

If LSU terminates Starkey without cause, LSU owes 90% of remaining base salary and supplemental compensation that would have been payable over the remaining term. Payments are made in equal monthly installments. Starkey has a duty to mitigate and seek basketball-related employment, including coaching, administration or media, at fair market value. LSU gets a dollar-for-dollar offset for qualifying compensation.

Mulkey clause

If Kim Mulkey ceases to be head coach for any reason, LSU can terminate Starkey’s agreement effective six months after Mulkey’s last day, or earlier by mutual agreement, with no further liability beyond compensation earned before termination.

LSU termination for cause

The cause language is broad and detailed: NCAA/SEC/LSU violations, failure to report violations, misconduct, moral turpitude, refusal to perform duties, failure to cooperate, Title IX violations, gambling, controlled substances, fraud, crimes and violation of material contract terms. For curable issues, LSU gives a seven-day cure period. LSU may also suspend without pay for up to 120 days for conduct that would support discipline or cause termination. SEC or NCAA suspension automatically triggers LSU suspension without pay for the duration of that suspension.

If Starkey leaves LSU

• If Starkey terminates before the end date, he owes LSU 15% of all remaining base salary and supplemental compensation.
• No liquidated damages are owed if he retires full-time after the final game of a season, leaves after the final game of the final season covered by the term, or leaves within 90 days of Kim Mulkey no longer serving as head coach.

Bottom line

Starkey’s deal is strong. The 90% LSU-side buyout is much more protective of the coach than the men’s assistant deals, and it reflects his seniority, continuity and value inside Mulkey’s program.

9. Fitzroy Anthony — Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach

Position	Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach
Term	Start date: no later than April 7, 2026. End date: June 30, 2028.
Compensation	Base salary: $350,000 annually.
Reporting	Reports directly to the Head Coach.

LSU termination without cause

If LSU terminates Anthony without cause, LSU owes 90% of remaining base salary and supplemental compensation, if any, payable in equal monthly installments over the remaining term. Anthony must mitigate by seeking another coaching or professional position at market value.

LSU termination for cause

If LSU terminates Anthony for cause, LSU owes no further amounts beyond the end of the month in which he is terminated.

If Anthony leaves LSU

• 50% of remaining compensation if he accepts a non-head coaching position with another SEC women’s or men’s basketball program.
• 25% of remaining compensation if he accepts a non-head coaching position in another college/pro basketball program or terminates for another reason.
• No liquidated damages are owed if he accepts a collegiate or professional head coaching position, leaves after the final season, or leaves within 90 days of Kim Mulkey’s last day as LSU head coach.

Incentives

Eligible for postseason incentive compensation as if he were a non-contracted employee under LSU’s Additional Compensation Policy for Post-Season Athletics. If payable, it is paid within 60 days.

Fringe benefits

• Standard unclassified professional employee benefits, except annual leave.
• $800 monthly vehicle allowance.
• Up to 14 consecutive days temporary housing.
• $25,000 relocation incentive, payable within 30 days of the effective date and subject to repayment if he does not remain employed for at least two full years.

Legal effect

The term sheet is contingent on satisfactory background check and Board approval. Once approved by the Board, the term sheet is legally binding even if the parties have not yet executed a comprehensive formal employment agreement.

Bottom line

Anthony’s deal mirrors the women’s basketball structure more than the men’s assistant structure: LSU-side protection for the coach is 90%, not 50%. That is meaningful and shows LSU is investing seriously in Mulkey’s staff.