Texas A&M football fans have something to worry about with Athletic Director Scott Woodward abruptly leaving to take the same job with LSU. It’s panic time for Texas A&M football fans. Just when you thought things were settled under an athletic director who had made maybe the two best hires in school history for the football and basketball programs, LSU’s athletic director stepped down and, about five hours later, Scott Woodward had taken the job at his alma mater. Understandably, Aggie fans were upset. This is a man who, just last August, said this: “People forget that I’ve been gone (nearly) 15 years now,” said Woodward, hired by A&M from the University of Washington. “I love it here. I love the people, the university and the commitment to education. Until they don’t want me, I want to be here.” There are only two meanings to this statement now that Woodward has left. He was either lying and just saying what he needed to publicly, or Texas A&M’s leadership wasn’t cooperating with him or giving him what he wanted. It’s fairly easy to discern the more probable scenario there. A&M gave Woodward the license to make its football and basketball coaches among the highest paid coaches at their respective positions. However, it’s difficult to reconcile what just happened. Undoubtedly, Woodward is leaving Texas A&M in a better position than he found it. Fisher has been fantastic. Buzz Williams is the first time in recent memory the Aggies have taken a coach from an established D1 program. Virginia Tech wasn’t a powerhouse before Williams took over, but they are in the best basketball conference, were ascending, and just made the Sweet 16 this year. Having said that, how long is that going to last? Did Woodward give Fisher a contract with zero buyout so that he could steal him for nothing after taking the LSU job? It’s been widely known for some time that LSU brass hasn’t been thrilled with Joe Alleva, who stepped down to make way for Woodward. Perhaps Woodward saw the writing on the wall and was buying his time. That is not to say he was mailing it in. Quite the contrary, obviously. In fact, one could make the argument Woodward had peaked at A&M and would never live up to the two amazing hires he just pulled off in the last 18 months. It’s not inconceivable that current LSU football coach Ed Orgeron has a short leash. He wasn’t seen as a massive hire for Alleva, and could be part of the reason he stepped down. One saving grace for Aggie fans is Orgeron has done a good job so far. Woodward doesn’t have cause to fire him…yet. The second the LSU job becomes open again, the call to work with Woodward at a historically great program could be more than enough for Fisher to walk, and Woodward’s legacy would be forever tarnished in Aggieland. The good news is, Texas A&M football has some of if not the best facilities in the country. Fisher is making boatloads of money and wouldn’t be offered nearly the same type of deal at LSU. If he’s successful in his first couple of years, A&M brass would back up the brinks truck for an extension. Fisher also likely understands his legacy and how he left Florida State. It doesn’t feel like he’d leave a school after such a short time frame. I could be wrong about that. Most of us thought Woodward was here for the long haul, too. Right now, it’s only natural for Aggie fans to be worried about Fisher’s future with the program. Really the only way that could be tempered is if the new athletic director has deep ties with Fisher, meaning he had his hand in the process. Hopefully John Sharp is smart enough to include him. Jeff Shull is the Site Expert for the Gig Em Gazette on FanSided. Follow him on Twitter, and be sure to follow the Gig Em Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.<doc-sep>Billy Liucci of TexAgs tweeted and Bruce Feldman with Fox Sports confirmed that A&M athletic director Scott Woodward was expected to become the next athletic director at LSU. In addition, Geaux247 of the 247Sports network confirmed it as well, saying, "Sources tell Geaux247 an agreement in principle has been reached between the two parties." Sources at both Texas A&M and LSU indicated that the Tigers targeted Woodward to fill the spot created when it was announced Wednesday morning that LSU athletic director Joe Alleva was leaving. A&M hired Woodward from Washington in 2016 to take over as athletic director and he followed former Washington president Michael Young from the northwest to College Station. Woodward landed former Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher after the 2018 season and Virginia Tech basketball coach Buzz Williams to fill Billy Kennedy's shoes earlier this month. Fisher was considered one of the biggest coups in recent college football history as he had reportedly turned down other opportunities to leave Tallahassee in recent years and had won a national title at FSU in 2013. It helped that Woodward lined up the support to give Fisher a 10-year, $75 million contract that is fully guaranteed. Williams is a former A&M assistant who is a native Texan and was a successful coach at both Marquette and with the Hokies. A&M ranked 10th nationally among more than 300 schools in the 2017-18 Learfield Directors Cup All-Sport Standings, third-best among SEC schools. Six A&M teams were led by coaches who have won national championships. Head football coach Jimbo Fisher (hired in December, 2017) and head women’s golf coach Andrea Gaston (hired in June, 2018) were the latest to additions to that roster and then Buzz Williams last week. Every Aggie sports program participated in postseason play since Woodward’s arrival. In 2017-18, all but one of Texas A&M's scholarship teams reached the postseason, and A&M was one of only 12 schools to have a bowl football team and both the men’s and women’s basketball teams reach the NCAA postseason tournament. Both the Aggie men's and women's basketball teams advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2018, the first time both have done so in the same year, and A&M joined Duke as the only two schools to do so. Aggie teams have won nine SEC titles during Woodward’s tenure, including women’s swimming & diving (three times), men’s basketball, baseball, men’s tennis (twice), soccer and men’s outdoor track and field. Woodward was at the University of Washington from 2008 through 2015. Prior to moving into athletics, Woodward served as Vice Chancellor of External Affairs at the university from 2004-2008. He held a similar role at LSU from 2000-2004 and acted as the liaison between the university and government and corporate officials. At LSU, Woodward also served as the Chancellor’s representative to the athletics department. During his time with the Tigers, the institution’s intercollegiate athletic teams won 10 NCAA championships, including one in football in 2003. According to the Dallas Morning News, if Woodward left Texas A&M, he will owe the university $40,960, according to the terms of the contract. His current deal runs through January 2021.<doc-sep>
The search for a new athletic director will have an interim A.D., and Texas A&M football fans will be glad to know who that is. Scott Woodward left Texas A&M as soon as LSU’s athletic director position came open. It was a surprising turn of events given in the previous 18 months, Woodward had stolen Jimbo Fisher from Florida State for Texas A&M football, said publicly he did not care about going home to LSU, then stole Buzz Williams from Virginia Tech to coach the basketball team. It appeared to all outside the university that all was well. Woodward confirmed after taking the LSU job he could not resist returning home. He not only attended LSU as a student and worked there for several years before spending the last 16 years at different universities, but he was born and raised in southern Louisiana. It wasn’t hard to see the writing on the wall once the LSU job became available. It puts the Aggies in a tough situation. Will Jimbo Fisher follow at some point down the road? He doesn’t have a buyout, but his fully guaranteed contract ceases to be if Fisher leaves on his own. He is only guaranteed this money if he is fired. Would LSU be able to give him a deal that approaches $7.5 million per season? Still, it’s only natural to believe Fisher would have one eye towards the job if Ed Orgeron were ever let go by Woodward. Fisher doesn’t have nearly the same ties to LSU as Woodward, other than spending a handful of seasons there as an assistant, but the two have a fantastic working relationship. One way to ensure Fisher is happy would be to include him in the process of selecting the next athletic director. He admitted Woodward was a big reason he took the Aggie job in the first place, so providing him someone he has as much confidence in and support from is paramount. The good news here is Texas A&M is including a former head football coach and someone Fisher has a great relationship with in the search for a new athletic director. R.C. Slocum has been named interim athletic director as the university looks to immediately begin a search to replace Woodward. Texas A&M President Michael Young had this to say about the appointment of Slocum: “R.C. has served as an Ambassador for Texas A&M for decades,” Young said. “While reporting to me as a special assistant, R.C. has demonstrated his dedication to this University and always is an exemplary representative for Aggies everywhere. He has shown proven leadership with coaches, staff and student athletes throughout his many roles at Texas A&M University.” Slocum has the most wins as a head coach in Texas A&M’s history. He was the head football coach from 1989-2002, won four conference championships and never had a losing season. He’s been involved with the program for nearly five decades and will be a major help in the search for a permanent hire.