LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry is not one to mince words. Never has been, dating back to his days as a linebacker under coach Bill Arnsparger and Mike Archer at LSU in the 1980s and continuing through his growth in the athletic department since the 1990s.
And he remained so in a story by Blake Toppmeyer of USA Today that was released shortly after his Tiger Rag interviews.
In USA Today, Ausberry contrasts former LSU coach Brian Kelly to new coach Lane Kiffin, whom he hired last November.
“He’s not the type to say, ‘Okay, I don’t want anyone to contact me. I don’t want anyone to touch me. I don’t want anyone around me. ‘ That’s who we had,” Ausberry remarked of Kelly without mentioning his name. “That’s why we got what we got. There was no feeling. There was no relationship between the LSU football program, the coach, and the fans.
Scott Woodward, the former LSU athletic director, and Ausberry, the then-deputy athletic director, fired Kelly the day after the Tigers suffered a 49-25 home loss to Texas A&M on October 25, which dropped their overall record to 5-3 (2-3, Southeastern Conference) and out of the College Football Playoff for the fourth consecutive time under Kelly in his four seasons. Kelly had been recruited away from Notre Dame for $100 million over ten years with the goal of leading the squad to playoff appearances and national titles.
Kelly, according to Ausberry, had “no connection and no building. ” “Not many employees connected. The ex-players did not get along. Yeah, I’m saying it. Now, former players dwell on the property, visit there, we greet them over there, and they work out there. That is what we want. That’s how LSU used to be. Former players went to the gym and exercised. There was no signing of forms in order to work out, nor was there any inquiry of, “Who are you? ” You cannot work out at this time. “
According to Ausberry, Kiffin has returned LSU to Nick Saban’s method of doing business. Saban was LSU’s coach from 2000 to 2004, guiding the team to its first national title since 1958 in the 2003 season.
“It’s returning to the Saban approach of running the whole program,” Ausberry said, adding that he is still good friends with Saban and sought his counsel before appointing Kiffin, who served as Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama from 2014 to 2016.
“You have to go do some stuff with alumni, boosters, and fundraising, as well as NIL,” Ausberry told the reporter. “You have to be a part of that. That is what Lane will do. He will go out and have that discussion with contributors and those who support the project, telling them, “We need your assistance. ” And provide them with his cell number.
