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ESPN star Ryan Clark tore into Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry Thursday as the search to replace head coach Brian Kelly at LSU began to heat up.
Clark criticized Landry for his decision to let the board of supervisors create a committee to search for a new coach to replace athletic director Scott Woodward. Clark, who played college football at LSU, said it was “the next most ridiculous thing,” Landry said this week, pointing to Landry’s support for a statue of the late conservative influencer Charlie Kirk as the first.
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Ryan Clark rejected 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 of all, that’s the second most ridiculous thing he said this week,” Clark said. “The first stood on campus and said he wanted to put a statue of someone who doesn’t represent the people of Louisiana, doesn’t represent the players and the students at LSU, doesn’t represent the leaders who work there. That was the first stupid thing he said this week. This is the second stupid thing, among a lot of stupid things he said.
“Scott Woodward, whatever he is, is a man who got Jay Johnson — last I checked, the 2025 Louisiana State University Tigers baseball team was at the White House ‘get the gat’ recently. He was there in 2019 — it’s one of the greatest college football teams ever. He was also there when he said, you know what, and we’re getting the Kim Mulkey championship out there. Reese and Flau’jae Johnson.”
Clark continued, saying he didn’t appreciate politicians getting involved in the athletic department at LSU.
“To me, this is another situation where politicians are poking their noses at things that they don’t know about. I honestly think it was so he can get in front of a microphone and say, ‘Look at this connection I have with the president (Donald Trump) and he likes to pick winners and he can please someone that he idolizes.’ You know nothing about football,” he said. “There’s enough going on in the state of Louisiana that needs to be taken care of for its constituents. I don’t need you tweeting on Saturday night about what’s going on at Tiger Stadium. There are too many issues happening right under your nose that have nothing to do with sports.
Ryan Clark prior to a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs on November 4, 2024 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)
LSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STAR QUESTIONS GOVERNOR’S PUSH FOR SCHOOL TO Erect STATUE OF CHARLIE KIRK
“Scott Woodward is a good man. Scott Woodward is a man who cares about LSU. In the greatest times, back then, 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 able. He missed because Brian Kelly was no longer willing. Brian Kelly didn’t care about him, and Brian Kelly didn’t care about him, and Brian Kelly didn’t care about him anymore, and Brian Kelly didn’t care about him. didn’t care if the players knew he didn’t care about him. That’s where it went wrong, not picking a man who was the winningest coach in Notre Dame history.
Pakinomist Digital reached out to Landry for comment on Clark’s remarks.
Landry was on “The Pat McAfee Show” to talk about the head coaching 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 we hire will have an obviously 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, don’t 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 is no guarantee.”
Landry also supported a Kirk statue to be erected on campus to honor the conservative figure.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry shoots a social media video outside the White House on March 24, 2025 in Washington, DC (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)
“We will issue a challenge to the LSU Board of Supervisors to find a place to place a statue of Charlie Kirk to defend free speech on the university’s 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 best-selling conservative author and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey.
Kirk was murdered while attending an event on the campus of Utah Valley University in September. His death sparked reactions throughout the sports world.
