Louisiana governor Jeff Landry is the talk of the college football world, and not necessarily for the right reasons. Landry has inserted himself directly into the LSU Football coaching hire, which adds an even more chaotic element to an already peculiar situation. Landry stated that LSU athletic director Scott Woodward would not be involved in the hiring process of LSU's next head coach, instead saying that the LSU Board of Supervisors would be making the call.
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There seems to be a lot of moving parts and power dynamics at play in the search for LSU's next head coach. Landry's comments have fans and media members across the country baffled. Pete Nakos reported on Thursday that industry sources are puzzled by the current situation in Baton Rouge.
From an industry source to @On3sports: "What the hell is going on in Louisiana?" https://t.co/mrnuz6izL1
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) October 29, 2025
Landry's hands-on approach has the potential to backfire on LSU
Landry isn't hiding the fact that he is attacking LSU's coaching hire with a hands-on approach. Fusing politics with football in this way has the potential to backfire big time on LSU. Not only does it make the LSU job less appealing, but the new coach will have to worry about the governor looking over his shoulder. That's not exactly what you want.
Whoever LSU ends up hiring, it's best to get out of the way and let them do their job. The new head coach will undoubtedly be talented and qualified, and it's better for everyone if they are left to lead and do the job in ways they see fit. The last thing Tiger fans want is a distracted coach dealing with dysfunctional power dynamics that hinder his ability to win.
The fact remains that LSU is one of the premier jobs in college football, but this current situation has made LSU look extremely dysfunctional over the past few days. Does that make other jobs like Florida and Penn State looks more attractive to potential Brian Kelly replacements? Maybe, or maybe not - but that is certainly not a risk that LSU fans want to be taking.