LSU and athletic director Scott Woodward have reached an agreement to separate, as announced on Thursday night. This pivotal change comes as the football program seeks a new coach following the dismissal of Brian Kelly, who was removed from his position last Sunday.

Woodward lost support from stakeholders at LSU, including Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who stated that Woodward would not be involved in hiring the next coach due to his history with substantial buyouts of fired coaches.

Brian Kelly left LSU with a remarkable $53 million buyout, which is noted as the second-largest in the history of college football. Woodward also possesses a $6.4 million buyout. Both contracts feature a mitigation clause requiring the pursuit of new jobs, implying that LSU might avoid full financial liability for these exits.

“We thank Scott for the last six years of service as athletic director,” commented Scott Ballard, chairman of the LSU Board of Supervisors. “He had a lot of success at LSU, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future. Our focus now is on moving the athletic department forward.”

Verge Ausberry, a longtime athletic administrator, will step in as interim AD, tasked with overseeing the athletic department’s operations and leading the search for the new football coach. “I’m honored to have the board of supervisors’ and the university leadership’s trust in this role,” Ausberry said.

Furthermore, Landry previously indicated that supervision of the coaching search would transition to the LSU Board of Supervisors, leaving unclear whether Ausberry will have more authority in the selection process.

“We are not going down a failed path,” Landry insisted, highlighting coaching decisions made by Woodward during his tenure. Woodward was instrumental in hiring Jimbo Fisher away from Florida State, leading to a monumental buyout when Fisher was dismissed after the 2023 season.

Woodward also signed Kelly to a lucrative 10-year, $95 million deal in 2021, which did not meet the expectations set during his appointment.

Despite the unsuccessful stints of Kelly and Fisher, Woodward once made a notable hire with Chris Petersen at Washington, who rejuvenated the football program with a College Football Playoff appearance in 2016.

The challenges of achieving top-tier status in the SEC culminated with a disappointing home loss to Texas A&M, which led to public dissent calling for Kelly’s removal, marking a major shift in the program’s leadership.