Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Hunt Palmer
Taxpayers won’t fund Brian Kelly’s buyout.
Despite Governor Jeff Landry’s outspoken concern regarding the more than $53 million contractually owed to Kelly and the state’s responsibility to foot that bill, LSU Board of Supervisors member and athletics committee chair John Carmouche dismissed that notion Friday.
“Let me make it clear,” Carmouche began. “The governor had a right to be concerned, and we’re working toward solutions. Everything is on the table. Let me make it clear. The state has never, and the taxpayers have never paid for a coach and never will.”
For three days, Landry has expressed concern over Kelly’s contract.
Landry first addressed the issue at a Wednesday press conference and continued Thursday on multiple media outlets including After Further Review on 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge.
The governor’s displeasure stems from the language in Kelly’s contract that binds the coach and the remainder of the contract to the university and the state’s taxpayers.
“After three hours of pouring through the contract and looking at everything, it’s very simple, ultimately the State of Louisiana and the Louisiana taxpayers would be ultimately responsible for paying that amount,” Landry said on After Further Review. “Now look, if somebody decided hey, ‘you know what, I’m going to relieve the state of Louisiana of that obligation,’ and they want to show up with a $53 million dollar check, then that would take the State of Louisiana off the hook.”
Landry went as far as to post the contract’s language on X from his personal account.
Brian Kelly’s contract was with the Board of LSU, it’s in the first paragraph, and LSU is a subdivision of the State. This makes the State liable for any debt.
Thus, putting the ultimate responsibility on the backs of Louisiana taxpayers.
As I stated, that is why public… pic.twitter.com/8b0cJFbLun
— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) October 30, 2025
Landry has chastised former LSU athletic director Scott Woodward for negotiating Kelly’s contract and the deal that lured Jimbo Fisher from Florida State to Texas A&M. After Woodward’s departure, that deal was extended and ultimately cost A&M more than $70 million in buyout dollars.
The governor said multiples times Wednesday and Thursday that Woodward would not be involved in hiring LSU’s next coach. Woodward and LSU parted Thursday evening with more than three years and $6 million left on his deal.
LSU Board of Supervisors Chair Scott Ballard was asked where those funds would come from.
“Revenue stream, as I’ve said before, is generated form the athletic department,” Ballard said. “It’s self-generated funds or private donations. That’s where it comes from. It does not come from state dollars that are allocated toward other things like education.”
Now, LSU turns its sights to its next head coach, a search that takes priority over the next athletic director according to Ballard.
Despite Landry’s displeasure with the contract structures at LSU and in college football, Ausberry claimed Friday that results on the field will be the priority with the next head coach, not the contract.
“I’ve spoken to the board members on the side of me right here and other board members, and I was told to get the best football coach there is,” Ausberry said. “You don’t worry about (the contract) at all. So, my thing is, we’re going to go out there as a team and we get the best contract, the best coach we have. Whatever it takes to get that person here, we will do.”
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