Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry just delivered a masterclass in America First governance, and college athletics administrators across the nation should be taking notes. In a bold statement that cuts through the typical political niceties, Landry declared he’d rather have President Trump select LSU’s next football coach than trust the university’s current Athletics Director Scott Woodward with the decision.
This isn’t just about football—it’s about accountability, fiscal responsibility, and the stark difference between proven winners and establishment failures.
Governor Landry’s pointed criticism comes as LSU faces mounting financial pressures from astronomical coaching buyouts, a problem plaguing universities nationwide. Under Woodward’s leadership, the Tigers have accumulated crushing financial obligations while struggling to deliver championship-caliber results. The Governor’s frustration reflects what millions of Americans feel watching public institutions squander taxpayer dollars on failed leadership while demanding ever-higher budgets.
“I’d rather Trump pick the coach than Scott Woodward,” Landry stated, highlighting a fundamental truth about leadership selection that extends far beyond Baton Rouge. President Trump’s track record of identifying talent and demanding results stands in sharp contrast to the revolving door of athletic department bureaucrats who seem to fail upward regardless of performance.
Woodward’s resume perfectly illustrates this pattern. Before arriving at LSU, he oversaw Texas A&M’s disastrous $70 million commitment to Jimbo Fisher—a spectacular failure that left Aggies fans with empty promises and taxpayers holding the bag. Yet instead of accountability, Woodward simply moved to another prestigious position, bringing his expensive decision-making to Louisiana.
This represents everything wrong with our current institutional leadership class. While working families struggle with inflation and rising costs, public university administrators continue operating under a consequence-free model where failure is rewarded with golden parachutes and new opportunities to mismanage resources elsewhere.
Governor Landry’s America First approach demands something revolutionary: actual performance standards. By invoking President Trump’s proven ability to identify winners, the Governor highlights the contrast between private sector accountability and public sector mediocrity. In Trump’s business empire, poor performance meant termination, not promotion. Results mattered more than connections or credentials.
This principle aligns perfectly with constitutional governance, where public servants are entrusted with taxpayer resources and expected to deliver measurable returns. The Founders never envisioned a system where government employees could consistently fail while enriching themselves at public expense.
The broader implications extend well beyond college athletics. Landry’s willingness to challenge entrenched bureaucracy signals a new generation of America First leaders who refuse to accept institutional dysfunction as inevitable. Whether in education, healthcare, or infrastructure, patriots are demanding the same performance-based accountability that drives successful private enterprises.
Louisiana’s stand could catalyze similar movements nationwide. Governors in Texas, Florida, and other red states are already implementing reforms that prioritize results over relationships. The era of unaccountable bureaucrats cycling between cushy positions while taxpayers fund their failures is ending.
The timing couldn’t be more appropriate. As President Trump prepares for his return to the White House, his influence on institutional reform extends beyond federal agencies to state and local levels. Governor Landry’s endorsement of Trump’s personnel judgment reflects growing recognition that America needs leaders who understand winning, not just managing decline.
For LSU fans and Louisiana taxpayers, this represents hope for genuine reform. Instead of another expensive experiment with an unproven coach selected by a track record of poor decisions, they might finally see leadership that prioritizes championships over comfortable mediocrity.
Governor Landry’s bold stance proves that America First governance isn’t just about federal policy—it’s about demanding excellence at every level of public service. Patriots across the nation should applaud Louisiana’s commitment to accountability and pray their own governors find similar courage to challenge institutional failures.
The choice is clear: proven winners or establishment failures. Louisiana has chosen wisely.
