AFR: Landry speaks about Woodward’s future at LSU

By Hunt Palmer

A day after declaring that LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward would not be involved in hiring LSU’s next football coach, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry expressed his concerns with LSU’s AD.

“What, I’m going to tell you, Matt, is that I’m not interested in having Scott Woodward negotiate and pick the next coach,” Landry said on After Further Review with Matt Moscona.

Traditionally, LSU’s athletic director is hired by the university president and approved by the Board of Supervisors. LSU does not have a system president currently, though the process to hire a new one has begun and could reach a conclusion in the coming days. That void left by former President William Tate has created discussion about the authority and involvement of the governor when it comes to campus hires.

Moscona asked if Landry, who appoints board members, had the authority to fire the athletic director.

“No, the governor does not have the authority to fire him, but I sure can call the Board of Supervisors and say, ‘look I’m going to tell you, I do not think it’s a good idea to have Scott Woodward negotiating the next contract with the coach when you look at the way that the agent system is working when the athletic director has the same agent as the coach,'” Landry said. “That is automatically a conflict of interest.”

Landry has expressed concern with Woodward’s representation simultaneously representing a new coach.

While Landry has confidently stated Woodward won’t be involved. Will he continue to serve at the athletic director moving forward?

“That’s questions for the Board of Supervisors,” Landry said. “We’re hopefully going to have a new president over at LSU on Tuesday that they’re going to select. I think they’ve whittled it down to three. Those are all questions that should answered by LSU, not by me. Once the taxpayers are off the bill, I’m out.”

Woodward is owed more than $6 million over the rest of his contract which still has more than three years remaining.

The quotes in this story are from Governor Jeff Landry’s interview with Matt Moscona on After Further Review.