Governor Jeff Landry isn’t the first governor to try to influence LSU football.
Louisiana governor Huey P. Long chats with referees prior to an LSU football game, 1932
Louisiana governors and LSU football
Louisiana State University is parting ways with its football coach, Brian Kelly. The team is, for all intents and purposes, out of the running for a playoff spot this season. That’s enough to enrage the team’s fan base. It’s also an opportunity for Governor Jeff Landry to yet again insert himself into the world of LSU sports.
The playoffs are the thing. A solid overall winning record means little to the world of college football. From ESPN:
Kelly, 64, compiled a 34-14 record over four seasons at LSU, winning just under 71% of his games. But the Tigers have lost three of their past four games, all in the SEC, and Saturday’s loss to the Aggies was one in which the road team scored 35 straight points to open the second half, as “Fire Kelly” chants reverberated inside Tiger Stadium.
It’s all about those three losses.
Enter the govnah
Governor Jeff Landry doesn’t think the (now-fired) Athletic Director at LSU should pick the next football head coach. He wants a committee to do it.
To be fair, I’m not a fan of LSU football, either. I went to the University of New Orleans. While my son earned both his BS and master’s from LSU (Accountancy), and was in the Golden Band from Tiger Land for four years, I’m kind of meh about the whole thing. What amuses me is that Jeff Landry, graduate of the University of Southwest Louisiana (Now University of Louisiana – Lafayette), views LSU football as a potential fundraising subject. It’s arguably a good strategy for a full-on Trump supporting politician to take, given how difficult it is to actually defend Trump.
Not the first
It’s important to note that Landry isn’t the first governor to insert himself into LSU athletics. LSU Professor Emeritus of Journalism Robert Mann details how Huey P. Long influenced LSU football during his tenure as governor and US Senator. From the blurb for Kingfish U – Huey Long and LSU:
Along with improving LSU’s academic reputation, Long believed the school’s football program and band were crucial to its success. Taking an intense interest in the team, Long delivered pregame and halftime pep talks, devised plays, stalked the sidelines during games, and fired two coaches. He poured money into a larger, flashier band, supervised the hiring of two directors, and, with the second one, wrote a new fight song, “Touchdown for LSU.”
Bob’s history of Long and LSU illustrates the difference between a strong, popular governor and a guy that I like to call, “Jindal 2.0.” It’s a good read if you like Louisiana politics.
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