By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The next LSU football coach, whoever that may one day sooner or later be, received a mandate on Friday morning.
“LSU has to be in the playoffs every year,” newly appointed interim athletic director Verge Ausberry said at a press conference.
Ausberry is in complete control of the search, according to LSU, to replace football coach Brian Kelly, who was fired in his fourth season on Sunday after four seasons of not reaching the College Football Playoff. Ausberry had already helped form a list of head coaching targets on Sunday with then-athletic director Scott Woodward, who fired Kelly.
Welcome to Louisiana Shakespearean University … LSU athletic director Scott Woodward gets the dagger 4 days after knifing football coach Brian Kelly.https://t.co/kT0otYNs6N
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) October 31, 2025
LSU – after a strong suggestion last Sunday reportedly by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry – fired Woodward on Thursday night because of what Landry on Wednesday called the “terrible” contract he gave to Kelly to leave Notre Dame for LSU after the 2021 season. Woodward’s contract to Kelly was for $100 million for 10 years with a current $52.3 million buyout owed to Kelly, unless that is somehow negotiated down amid likely slim chances to do so.
LSU Board of Supervisors chairman Scott Ballard said at the Ausberry press conference that Landry had nothing to do with Woodward’s firing, contrary to a report by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
Still no comment from LSU or AD Scott Woodward on Governor Jeff Landry’s bombshell on Wednesday: “No, I can tell you right now Scott Woodward will not be selecting the next coach. Hell, I’ll let Donald Trump select him before I let him do it.” https://t.co/HQfpbWjFpI
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) October 30, 2025
“It was a mutual decision by LSU and Scott Woodward,” Ballard said. He continued to receive questions on that by media members at the press conference who apparently did not believe him. He never answered questions about why Woodward was fired after success in most aspects of the athletic department other than his football and men’s basketball hires.
Woodward-hired coaches Kim Mulkey (women’s basketball), Jay Johnson (baseball) and Jay Clarke (gymnastics) all have won national championships at LSU with Johnson taking two, including his latest one just last June.
“Others can recap or opine on my tenure and my decisions over the last six years as Director of Athletics, but I will not.”
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) October 31, 2025
… Scott Woodward:https://t.co/SUM78SZbk6
Landry had also said on Wednesday that the Board of Supervisors would be hiring the new coach after saying clearly that Woodward would not hire the new coach under any circumstances. LSU now says that will be Ausberry hiring the coach with a search committee that Ausberry has already virtually named that includes Board members.
LSU officials also countered Landry Friday by saying taxpayer money has never paid any LSU coaching salaries or buyouts, which may not be completely accurate and is clearly up for debate.
What former attorney/present La. Governor Jeff Landry said on Pat McAfee Show about how you’ll pay Brian Kelly’s buyout if fairy godmother donor doesn’t. … And does Landry want Scott Woodward fired?https://t.co/LS1fEJv3BE
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) October 30, 2025
“This is a great opportunity,” said Ausberry, a New Iberia native and former starting linebacker for the Tigers in the 1980s who has worked in various positions in the LSU athletic department since the 1990s. In recent years, he has risen to associate and deputy athletic director.
“I want to tell our fan base one thing,” Ausberry, 58, said. “LSU is not broken. LSU’s athletic department is not broken. I think we have the best athletic department in the country. I would put them up against anyone. We’re going to be the best at LSU.”
Ausberry said he saw apathy in the final season of Kelly’s run in 2025. The Tigers fell from No. 3 in the nation after an opening win at No. 4 Clemson to out of the rankings at 5-3 and 2-3 in the SEC this week after losing at home to No. 3 Texas A&M, 49-25, on Saturday. Ausberry noticed the stadium was emptying during the second half when the Aggies erased an 18-14 deficit during a 35-7 run to end the game.
“This program cannot have apathy,” Ausberry said. “We have to win. We have to be successful. We’re going to have the best football coach there is.”
Associate head coach Frank Wilson replaced Kelly as interim coach on Sunday. He is not expected to be named the head coach. The Tigers play at No. 4 Alabama a week from Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC).
Asked what his chances are to get the athletic director job beyond interim, Ausberry said, “At this time, that’s not a concern right now.”
LSU – with the help of donors or taxpayers, depending on which side you believe – now has two buyouts to pay off – Kelly’s at $52.3 million with six years left on his contract and Woodward’s at $6.7 million with four years remaining on his. Woodward made $1.85 million a year and had his contract extended through 2029 in 2022.
(This story will be updated.)
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