LSU AD Verge Ausberry Hammers Brian Kelly While Comparing Him To Lane Kiffin

During an interview with USA Today, LSU Athletic Director Verge Ausberry had some very straightforward words about former coach Brian Kelly and his lack of connection within the football program.

Ausberry suggested that Kelly wasn't putting in the extra off-the-field work with boosters and alumni, whereas Kiffin is the opposite so far.

quote:

---

“It’s going back to the Saban model,” Ausberry told USA TODAY Sports of the program’s redirect. “(That means) running the whole program. Then, you have to go do some things with alumni and do things with boosters and do things with fundraising, with NIL. You have to be a part of that.”

“That’s what Lane will do,” Ausberry continued. “He’ll go out there and have that conversation with the donors and the people who support the program and (say), ‘We need your help,’ and give them his cell number.

“He’s not one who’ll say, ‘OK, I don’t want people to contact me. I don’t want people to touch me. I don’t want people to be around me.’ That’s who we had. That’s why we got what we got. There was no feel, there was no connection between the LSU football program, the coach, and the fans.”

---

Ausberry added that Kelly's closed-door approach for former players around the football facility was also a problem:

quote:

---

“There was no connection and no building” when Kelly was coach, Ausberry said. “Not many employees connected. The former players didn’t connect. Yeah, I’m saying it.

“Now, former players live over there (at the facility), go over there, we welcome them over there, (they) work out over there. That’s what we want. That’s who LSU used to be. Former players came in the weight room, and they worked out. There wasn’t signing no form to be able to work out, or, ‘Who are you? You can’t work out at this time.’”

---