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The Tuscaloosa News
LSU football coaching hire circus at least makes buyout sense | Goodbread
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- LSU football coaching hire circus at least makes buyout sense | Goodbread
What is supposed to be a chain of command ― starting with LSU's administration , extending to its athletic department, and ending with its football program ― is currently lacking both the chain and the command.
What lies in its place is a smoldering crater of dysfunction after Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, with all the brash bluster of a movie character, publicly emasculated former Tigers AD Scott Woodward, who was subsequently fired. And you'd better believe the two were connected.
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That left a new university president to hire (Landry's preference is now freshly installed), a new athletic director to hire (Verge Ausberry, come on down), and of course, a new football coach to hire. This is the same governor who was so upset that LSU wouldn't put its live mascot , Mike the Tiger, on display for a home game against Alabama last year, that he arranged to have another tiger wheeled into Tiger Stadium instead.
A year later, he's created yet another circus.
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But for all the well-deserved criticism he's received for making Brian Kelly's old job less desirable, Landry is making one promise that every LSU fan ― and for that matter, every college football fan at large ― should be thrilled about.
LSU is done with exorbitant buyouts for failed football coaches.
That Kelly is due around $54 million in the aftermath of his firing raised Landry's ire, and it's why he targeted Woodward, who negotiated Kelly's contract on LSU's behalf. He's insistent that the next Tigers coach won't be given another golden parachute. And good for him for taking that stance.
Someone has to.
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It certainly wasn't Indiana AD Scott Dolson, who fully guaranteed a $93 million deal for coach Curt Cignetti a couple weeks ago. It wasn't Nebraska , which just threw another two years onto Matt Rhule's deal for no apparent reason. He's 18-16 in 34 games, and the Cornhuskers said "here's more money" when we all know the same success rate probably won't even buy him another 34 games. If Clemson decides it's had enough of Dabo Swinney after this season, he'll get $60 million.
It's insanity, and Landry ― for all his unsightly meddling ― is at least ready to stand up against market forces and show athletic directors nationwide what a spine looks like. The minute NIL turned recruiting into a cash grab for athletes, the market on coaching buyouts should've collapsed. Because, in the end, both are draining the same pockets. That hasn't happened, so it will require a pioneer.
A pioneer clad in purple and gold, apparently.
Does it mean LSU might miss out on the coach at the top of their list? Probably. Agents will surely balk at the idea of a job as big as LSU not coming with a fat buyout, and will steer their clients elsewhere. If LSU is truly going to make a stand, agents will do all they can to make sure its new hire is a Gerry Faustian head-scratcher.
Tuscaloosa News sport columnist Chase Goodbread.
Forge ahead anyway, Tigers.
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After all, what's the track record on big-money coaches, anyway? Many get paid championship-level salaries, but only a few deliver championship results. If taking a stand on buyouts means LSU can't snag a James Franklin or a Lane Kiffin, so be it. They've got as many national titles as a top small-school candidate like South Florida 's Alex Golesh (none) but unlike the big fish in this year's coaching market, Golesh comes from a school where national titles aren't attainable anyway.
LSU can pay a highly competitive base salary, one that ranks as high as Kelly's did, or higher, without setting itself up to write a massive check for failure. Salary and buyout don't have to be connected. And if the Tigers are ready for fork over another $10 million-plus a year, some awfully good coaches would walk to Baton Rouge for that kind of money, buyout be damned. That's the dirty secret agents don't ever want told.
It remains to be seen if Landry, or his influence, follows through on changing the buyout market.
After all, when it comes to politicians, promises made aren't often promises kept.
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But if Landry delivers on this one, give him proper credit amid all the criticism.
Tuscaloosa News sport columnist Chase Goodbread.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Jeff Landry's LSU football coaching circus at least makes buyout sense
