LSU AD Ausberry Defends Kiffin, Blasts Kelly's Disconnect with Fans and Boosters

LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry backed new head coach Lane Kiffin amid backlash from his Vanity Fair interview and took sharp aim at former coach Brian Kelly's poor relations with boosters and fans.

Ausberry told USA Today's Matt Hayes that the program required a full change after parting with Kelly. "It’s going back to the Saban model," Ausberry said. "(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."

Though Ausberry avoided naming Kelly, his comments clearly targeted the ex-coach. "That’s what Lane will do," Ausberry added. "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's critique aligned with Kelly's record. LSU boasts strong recruiting resources and loyal boosters, but Kelly's classes lagged behind predecessor Ed Orgeron's. 247Sports composite rankings show Orgeron's average at 6.8 and Kelly's at 8.75, with declines after his first transition class.

Kelly's standoffish style with donors likely hampered recruiting in the money-fueled SEC, where coaches need booster support to land top talent. Kiffin built Ole Miss's NIL efforts and now leads an LSU roster valued at $40 million, but social media skepticism from some fans persists.