LSU’s athletic department is facing a major transition, as reports indicate that longtime executive Verge Ausberry could step into the interim athletic director role. The former Tiger linebacker brings 24 years of experience within LSU athletics to a department in turmoil.
What Has Verge Ausberry Done at LSU Over 24 Years?
Ausberry is a New Iberia native who played middle linebacker at LSU from 1987 to 1989, earning four letters and serving as the leading tackler on defense for two years. He helped the Tigers to two SEC championships and four bowl appearances during his playing career.
He joined the LSU athletics department staff in 2001 and steadily advanced up the administrative ladder over the course of 24 years. He was promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Director in 2006 and Deputy Athletics Director in 2015. In July 2019, he became Executive Deputy Director of Athletics and Executive Director of External Relations.
Ausberry currently oversees daily operations for the athletic department and serves as sport administrator for football, gymnastics, and women’s basketball. His institutional knowledge and deep relationships across the department position him as a stabilizing presence during this transitional period.
Why Is Scott Woodward Leaving LSU?
Ross Dellenger reported on X: “LSU and AD Scott Woodward are finalizing an exit agreement, sources tell @YahooSports. Longtime LSU athletic administrator Verge Ausberry is expected to serve as the interim athletic director.”
Woodward’s departure follows intense criticism after LSU fired head football coach Brian Kelly. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry publicly criticized Woodward for negotiating Kelly’s 10-year, $95 million contract, which left LSU owing a $54 million buyout.
Landry even said Woodward would not be involved in selecting the next football coach, telling reporters he’d “let Donald Trump select him before I let him do it.”
In a follow-up post, Dellenger added: “LSU is expected to comply with the obligations in Woodward’s contract, sources tell @YahooSports. According to Woodward’s contract, he is owed roughly $6.4 million. The school may announce the separation as soon as Friday.”
LSU is expected to comply with the obligations in Woodward’s contract, sources tell @YahooSports. According to Woodward’s contract, he is owed roughly $6.4 million.
The school may announce the separation as soon as Friday.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 31, 2025
Woodward’s tenure at LSU began in 2019 and produced national championships in baseball, women’s basketball, and gymnastics. But his aggressive spending on coaching contracts drew scrutiny.
He previously negotiated Jimbo Fisher’s fully guaranteed $75 million deal at Texas A&M before arriving at LSU, a contract that eventually cost A&M a record buyout when Fisher was fired.
The Tigers’ playoff hopes are essentially over after dropping three of their last four games. The loss to Texas A&M officially wiped out any dwindling hope of the lofty preseason goals this group had set coming into the year. According to PFSN’s CFB Playoff Meter, LSU has just a 2.18% chance to make the playoff with a projected 7.13 wins and 4.87 losses for the season.
The Tigers currently rank 26th nationally in PFSN’s Power Rank, sitting at 5-3 overall and 2-3 in SEC play. LSU is essentially eliminated from both national and SEC contention, with remaining road trips to Alabama and Oklahoma sandwiched around home games against Arkansas and Western Kentucky.
Ausberry could soon inherit the task of stabilizing the program while LSU navigates both a football coaching search and questions about the athletic department’s financial commitments.
His decades of experience within the Tiger athletic program and his deep ties to the university position him as the logical choice to guide LSU through one of the most turbulent stretches in recent program history.
