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ESPN star Ryan Clark tore into Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry on Thursday as the search to replace head coach Brian Kelly at LSU began to really heat up.
Clark criticized Landry for his decision to have the Board of Supervisors come up with a committee to search for a new coach instead of athletic director Scott Woodward. Clark, who played college football at LSU, said it was the “second most ridiculous thing” Landry said this week, pointing to Landry’s support of a statue for the late conservative influencer Charlie Kirk as the first.
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Ryan Clark dismissed the idea of putting a statue of Charlie Kirk on LSU’s campus. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The Super Bowl champion went on an emotional rant on “First Take.”
“First off, it’s the second most ridiculous thing he said this week,” Clark said. “The first was standing on campus and saying he wanted to put a statue of somebody that doesn’t represent the people of Louisiana, doesn’t represent the players and the students at LSU, doesn’t represent the executives that work there. That was the first dumb thing he said this week. This is the second dumb thing, amongst a lot of dumb things that he said.
“Scott Woodward, for whatever he is, is a man who got Jay Johnson – last I checked, the 2025 Louisiana State University Tigers baseball team was in the White House ‘getting the gat’ recently. He was there in 2019 – it’s one of the greatest college football teams of all time. He also was there when he said you know what, we’ll go out there and get Kim Mulkey. She brings a championship to the school with Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson.”
Clark continued, saying he didn’t appreciate politicians getting involved in the athletics department at LSU.
“To me, this is another situation of politicians poking their nose into things that they don’t know about. I honestly believe it was so he can get in front of a microphone and say, ‘Look at this connection I have to the president (Donald Trump) and he likes to pick winners and he can placate to somebody he idolizes.’ You don’t know nothing about football,” he said. “There’s enough going on in the state of Louisiana that needs to be fixed for its constituents. I don’t need you tweeting on Saturday night about what’s going on in Tiger Stadium. There’s too many issues happening right there under your nose that ain’t got nothing to do with sports.
Ryan Clark prior to a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 4, 2024, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)
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“Scott Woodward is a good man. Scott Woodward is a man who cares about LSU. In the greatest times, back in the day, he understood what it was like to be a part of a winner and he’s brought more winners back to the school. He didn’t miss because Brian Kelly wasn’t capable. He missed because Brian Kelly was no longer willing. Brian Kelly was no longer tapped in. Brian Kelly didn’t care if the people of Louisiana cared about him and he didn’t care if the players knew that he didn’t care about him. That’s where it went wrong. Not in picking a man who was the winningest all-time coach in Notre Dame history. For me, it’s emotional clearly, and it p—– me off, but Scott Woodward deserves to pick the next head coach and the governor should stay out of it.”
Fox News Digital reached out Landry for comment on Clark’s remarks.
Landry was on “The Pat McAfee Show” to talk about the head-coach search at LSU. McAfee honed in on Landry’s points about LSU’s next head coach and their future contract. Kelly reportedly had a $54 million buyout option.
“The next coach that we hire is gonna have a patently different contract,” Landry said. “If that agent can’t see what’s coming down the (pike)… Look, these big name coaches are big names because they win. What are they afraid of? If you’re the best, you shouldn’t have to worry.
“You say, ‘Guess what? I’m putting my reputation on the line. And when I win, this is how much money I want.’ There’s no guarantee.”
Landry also lent his support for a Kirk statue to be erected on campus in honor of the conservative figure.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry records a social media video outside the White House, March 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)
“We’re gonna put a challenge out to the LSU board of supervisors to find a place to put a statue of Charlie Kirk to defend freedom of speech on college campuses,” Landry said in a video posted to his social media.
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Landry was also at a Turning Point USA event at LSU. He said more than 1,500 people attended the event, which also featured conservative best-selling author and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey.
Kirk was assassinated while at an event at the campus of Utah Valley University in September. His death sparked reactions across the sports world.
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