Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry is pulling all the strings possible to make Louisiana State University (LSU) his model school. President Donald Trump’s political puppet, Landry, has his hands deeply involved in decision-making behind LSU Athletics, specifically the school’s renowned football team. Through avid criticism, Landry played a role in the release of the head football coach Brian Kelly and the athletic director Scott Woodward. All this commotion took place after a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M University.
LSU football is closing out a mediocre season, finishing 7-5 overall in the regular season and 3-5 in the SEC. Head Coach Kelly was four years into a 10-year, $100 million contract with the Tigers. His run was relatively successful, ensuring the team a top-half finish in the SEC for the past handful of years. According to AP News, Woodward instructed the firing of Kelly on Oct. 26. Immediately following Kelly’s departure, Landry publicly announced that Woodward would not be involved in the process of choosing the next head football coach. The governor made a comment saying he would let Trump make the choice before Woodward. Days later, on Oct. 30, LSU and Woodward parted ways.
The athletic director’s departure resulted from conversations between Woodward and the LSU board. Nine of the 18 board members were chosen by Landry since his appointment in January of 2024. If the governor handpicked the board, how mutual could the decision be? Those newly appointed members of the board denied that Landry’s comments had any effect on Woodward’s departure. Alas, Woodward’s guidance led to six national titles across various sports at LSU.
Following a couple of dramatic days at LSU, Landry’s only concern revolved around the buyout of the remainder of Kelly’s contract and the litigation issues that could come into play. In addition to staffing the athletics department, Landry has been adamant about reshaping the school. In the year and a half since he took office, the governor has encouraged discipline against professors who speak out against Trump and criticized the women’s basketball team for not being present on the court for the national anthem, according to AP News.
The public and pundits have a lot to say about the reshuffling at LSU. Many are worried these events have tarnished LSU’s reputation. According to AP News, “political pundit James Carville is mulling a defamation lawsuit against Landry on Woodward’s behalf” and renouncing LSU. Many of those who have been heavily involved in LSU football are confused as to why.
Landry is dedicating so much time to this effort. One may think he has more pressing matters to attend to.
The truth is that Louisiana Governors have a long history of asserting authority at LSU. The state school and the state capital are only a few miles apart in Baton Rouge. According to CBS Sports, the governor has had a substantial impact on the success of the head football coach in the past. Many of these political leaders, despite not having attended LSU, are eager to restructure the school to their liking. Politicians feel the success of the school reflects on the success of their administration. “Our standard is excellence, and anything less than excellence we will not stand for in the state of Louisiana,” said Rep. Dixon Wallace McMakin, an LSU graduate, to AP News reporters.
Many might be divided as to whether Landry and other politicians should be involved in their beloved school and its success. Nevertheless, there may have been a lack of evidence to support the rash decision that Landry put into motion. In the end, his futile attempt to reconstruct staffing at LSU Athletics may have caused more harm than good.
