LSU’s athletic department was thrown into chaos by an eventful and chaotic week. After a week filled with turmoil, LSU’s new power structure is beginning to take shape. The firing of Brian Kelly as the football coach was a result of consecutive losses. This was followed by a dramatic press conference in which Governor Jeff Landry said that Scott Woodward, the athletic director at the school, would not be involved with the hiring of Kelly’s successor. Woodward was fired later that week. LSU was without a university leader for the entire time. Wade Rousse became the new LSU president this week. His first act was to promote interim Athletic Director Verge Ausberry into a permanent position. Ausberry was a linebacker for LSU. He has worked in the athletic department for 24 years, the last six of which he spent as executive deputy athletic director. His hiring is not without controversy. He was suspended in 2021 due to his involvement in the improper handling of complaints about physical and sexual abuse against LSU athletes.
The Politics of Purple and Gold – How Gov. Jeff Landry’s power move that led to the resignation of LSU’s AD
John Talty
Landry’s brazen, boastful presser in which Landry went after Woodward, and Jimmy Sexton – the most powerful coach agent in the industry – made many question if the LSU position would be that attractive to coaches considering the apparent power vacuum that the Governor seemed to be more than happy fill. Rousse, now that he is the new president of LSU, has vowed to restore order and stability in Baton Rouge. Ausberry, in a Tuesday interview with 104.5 ESPN, Baton Rouge, alluded to this.
Ausberry stated that “that alignment is very important.” “If there’s no leadership, then you have a gap there. It really, really hurts your business.” The people want to know to whom they report and to whom they answer. It’s a very important thing in our system.Verge Ausberry presents vision for LSU coach searchAusberry’s years in Baton Rouge have given him a great deal of clout with other influential figures at the university and a lot support in the football department, where he has worked most closely. LSU is now able to begin putting together a plan for the new football coach, who will know exactly what expectations Baton Rouge has. Making the College Football Playoffs are a necessity and championships should be expected.
Ausberry, last Friday, said: “We’ll hire the best possible football coach.” That’s our responsibility. We will not let this program fail. LSU football must make the playoffs each year. Twelve teams make it. Here, it’s expanding. LSU must be one of these teams. No substitute.Ausberry explained how the Tigers could get back to this place. Noting that his role as AD (at that time interim but now full-time), is to make sure the infrastructure to support the Coach, so that he has all the tools at his disposal for winning, is in place.Ausberry said, “We need to ensure we have the right tools in place for that new coach. No matter who it is,” he added. “I don’t think that the days when a coach won five or six national championships will be the same. Especially with rev sharing. We have to ensure that what we are doing and what infrastructure we have at LSU will support the coach every year. Tonight, the College Football Playoff [rankings] Every year we will need to mention ourselves in this.”
Ausberry, after the disastrous Brian Kelly era seems to place a high priority on fit during this next hiring process. Kelly never felt like a comfortable fit for LSU as a coach who built his résumé in the Midwest moving to the South, where his attempts to fit in always felt forced. Ausberry said that all of these coaches could coach Xs and Os. “They can call plays, draw up the play, and do everything else.” They can draw it up, they can call plays. But do they fit the institution or LSU?”Ausberry confirmed that the school will be seeking a head coach who has experience in the playoffs. They are also willing to wait until the coach is finished with the Playoff.
This means that LSU is going to be looking for the most popular names in the market. Ausberry will no longer be tagged as interim, and the school hopes that this will quell any doubts or concerns candidates may have about who will be their boss in the athletic department.
2025-11-05 01:13:20
