ESPN’s Ryan Clark blasted Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry on Thursday as LSU’s search for a new head coach intensified.
Clark criticized Landry for tasking the Board of Supervisors, rather than Athletic Director Scott Woodward, with leading the search, calling it the “second most ridiculous thing” Landry said this week—after his support for a statue of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
The Super Bowl champion then went on an emotional rant on First Take:
“First off, it’s the second most ridiculous thing he said this week. The first was standing on campus and saying he wanted to put a statue of somebody that doesn’t represent the people of Louisiana, doesn’t represent the players and the students at LSU, doesn’t represent the executives that work there. That was the first dumb thing he said this week. This is the second dumb thing, amongst a lot of dumb things that he said. Scott Woodward, for whatever he is, is a man who got Jay Johnson – last I checked, the 2025 Louisiana State University Tigers baseball team was in the White House ‘getting the gat’ recently. He was there in 2019 – it’s one of the greatest college football teams of all time. He also was there when he said you know what, we’ll go out there and get Kim Mulkey. She brings a championship to the school with Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson.”
Clark continued his rant, claiming he didn’t appreciate politicians involving themselves in the athletics department at LSU:
“To me, this is another situation of politicians poking their nose into things that they don’t know about. I honestly believe it was so he can get in front of a microphone and say, ‘Look at this connection I have to the president (Donald Trump) and he likes to pick winners and he can placate to somebody he idolizes.’ You don’t know nothing about football. There’s enough going on in the state of Louisiana that needs to be fixed for its constituents. I don’t need you tweeting on Saturday night about what’s going on in Tiger Stadium. There’s too many issues happening right there under your nose that ain’t got nothing to do with sports…
Scott Woodward is a good man. Scott Woodward is a man who cares about LSU. In the greatest times, back in the day, 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 capable. He missed because Brian Kelly was no longer willing. Brian Kelly was no longer tapped in. Brian Kelly didn’t care if the people of Louisiana cared about him and he didn’t care if the players knew that he didn’t care about him. That’s where it went wrong. Not in picking a man who was the winningest all-time coach in Notre Dame history. For me, it’s emotional clearly, and it p—– me off, but Scott Woodward deserves to pick the next head coach and the governor should stay out of it.”
Ryan Clark, the dumbest racist at ESPN, rips Charlie Kirk on ESPN, says people from Louisiana hate Kirk and what he stood for: pic.twitter.com/bp4ArUvZ1f
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 30, 2025
Gov. Jeff Landry discussed LSU’s coaching search on The Pat McAfee Show, addressing the next coach’s contract after Brian Kelly’s $54 million buyout. He also voiced support for erecting a statue of conservative figure Charlie Kirk on campus after he was assassinated at an event at Utah Valley University in September.
“We’re gonna put a challenge out to the LSU board of supervisors to find a place to put a statue of Charlie Kirk to defend freedom of speech on college campuses,” Landry said in a video posted to his social media.
Landry also attended a Turning Point USA event at LSU, drawing over 1,500 attendees and featuring conservative author and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey.
