BATON ROUGE — LSU Athletics and Director of Athletics Scott Woodward have agreed to part ways effective immediately, the department announced Thursday.
Executive Deputy Athletic Director Verge Ausberry, a New Iberia native, has been appointed Interim Director of Athletics.
"I'm a little boy from New Iberia, Louisiana, who had the opportunity to come here in 1985. I started at the bottom," Ausberry said.
He talked about how, as a young player he was last on the depth chart, but worked his way up to start for two years and lead the team in tackles. After that he started at the bottom again in the department, and worked his way up again.
"I know what hard work is, I know what it is to be a part of LSU. I've walked these halls, i've walked those quads," he said.
He talked about walking onto the field during the last game and seeing empty seats and empty suites, and he spoke directly to the fan base.
"LSU is not broken. The athletic department is not broken. This is the best athletic department in the country. We have the best staff in the country. The executive team is second to none; I put them up against anyone. They are the best and they will get the job done. We have championship coaches here," he said. "We're LSU. This place is not broken. I've been part of 18 national championships at LSU. six recently. i know what it takes to win. We know what it takes to win. That's our job and that's our mission."
Ausberry talked about working with LSU Head Women's Basketball Coach Kim Mulkey, former LSU Head Football Coach Nick Saban and former LSU Head Baseball Coach and Athletic Director Skip Bertman.
"My heritage goes back with those people, what they taught me: to be the best. We're going to be the best at LSU," he said.
He gave details about the committee he's putting together to find a new head football coach (former Head Football Coach Brian Kelly was fired on Sunday) and promised that "we're going to hire the best coach there is."
"We're not going to let this program fail. LSU has to be in the playoffs every year in football," he said. "This building has to be successful.
Here's the video:
In a release, LSU states that Ausberry will serve as Interim Director of Athletics, effective immediately, and will lead all facets of the athletic department, including the search for the next head football coach. The New Iberia native is a longtime senior administrator at the university, as well as a multi-time LSU alumnus and former standout linebacker for the football program.
Here's what LSU says about Ausberry:
Ausberry earned his Bachelor of Science in Education in 1990. He later earned his Master of Education in 1992 and Specialist in Higher Education Administration in 2004. As a player, he was a four-year letter winner, a two-year captain on defense and a member of two SEC Championship games. He played in four bowl games.Ausberry joined the LSU athletic department in 1991 as an intern in the compliance office. Over the course of his 30-plus year career, he served the Tigers in areas including academics, fundraising, corporate relations, marketing, game management, sport administration, life skills, sports medicine and performance, equipment and alumni relations.
In 2019, he was promoted to the role of Executive Deputy Athletic Director, as well as Executive Director of External Relations. In the latter role, he assists the Office of the President in external and governmental relations.
“Verge Ausberry is a native son of Louisiana and LSU, who has spent all of his adult life working to better this athletic department and this state,” said John Carmouche, Board Athletics Committee Chair. “From the time he arrived on campus as a football student-athlete, he’s been associated with championship excellence and will continue to uphold that standard in his role as interim athletic director. He’s the ideal person to lead this department with full authority at this time, and together we show the country that LSU continues to be an elite destination for student-athletes, coaches and staff.”
“I’m honored for the Board of Supervisors and university leadership to put their trust in me to serve the university in this role,” Ausberry said. “I arrived at LSU as a freshman student-athlete in 1985, and from that point forward, this institution has impacted my life and my family in ways I never could have imagined. It’s my responsibility to move this athletic department forward, including hiring the best football coach in America to lead our program. Our coaches and staff will continue to work every day to give our student-athletes the best experience possible and set a championship-level standard.”
Ausberry has been married to the former Cheri Morial of New Orleans for 24 years. They have two sons, Austin and Jaiden, who are both Division I football student-athletes. Austin is a redshirt junior safety at LSU.
Woodward, a Baton Rouge native and LSU alumnus, began his tenure as Director of Athletics at his alma mater in April 2019.
“We thank Scott for the last six years of service as athletic director,” said Scott Ballard, Board of Supervisors Chair. “He had a lot of success at LSU, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future. Our focus now is on moving the athletic department forward and best positioning LSU to achieve its full potential.”
On Thursday, he released a letter to the fans:
Dear Tiger Nation:
It is with a heavy heart but also with my typical optimism, that today is my last day serving as your Director of Athletics.
I grew up a few miles from campus, attended Catholic High School, and enrolled at the University that would change my life in 1981. My four years as a LSU student were among the greatest of my life. My career took me into government and public relations before the opportunity to return to my alma mater in 2000 to lead external affairs for the University. Being back on campus each and every day was a true honor. My journey would take me to Seattle and to College Station, before finally returning home in 2019, to LSU and to Baton Rouge.
Others can recap or opine on my tenure and on my decisions over the last six years as Director of Athletics, but I will not. Rather, I will focus on the absolute joy that LSU Athletics brings to our state’s residents and to the Baton Rouge community. I will cherish the incredible relationships I have built within the University community and beyond our campus borders. And I will fondly remember the national and SEC championships for the joy that they brought to our student-athletes, coaches, staff, campus community and our incredible fans.
Our University will always hold a special place in my heart and I will never be too far from LSU. Nanette, Michael, Josh and I wish the Tigers nothing but the best.
Geaux Tigers!
Scott
