Urban Meyer reacts strongly after LSU fires Brian Kelly

As a coach who won national titles at both Florida and Ohio State, former coach and current FOX analyst Urban Meyer had some thoughts on Brian Kelly's recent firing. Meyer's thoughts concerned the role of Governor Jeff Landry in influencing-- some would say scripting-- the decision to dump Kelly.

Ross Dellinger reported at length on Landry's role in the firing of Kelly. LSU is currently without a University president and Landry has significant influence on LSU's Board of Advisors. Dellinger quoted an insider as calling it "the most Louisiana thing ever that the governor is directly involved" in Kelly's firing. Meyer's comments on The Triple Option revealed genuine concern over that situation.

Meyer's take on a crowded situation

As a person that's gone through the circuit and how you deal with it, I have very strong opinions about non-football people making football decisions.... So discipline, offseason, recruiting strategy, class attendance policy, coordinator hires, are those all going to run through the governor now? And people say, 'Well, of course not.' Well then how are you making decisions?
Urban Meyer

Athletic director Scott Woodward is facing ridicule for being the athletic director who dumped both Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M and now Brian Kelly at LSU. With a nine-figure sum of money involved in those buyouts, it's hardly surprising that Governor Landry has now indicated that Woodward will not be hiring LSU's next coach. But with a new University President incoming and an athletic director who will apparently not choose the next coach overseeing that coach, Meyer's fundamental point stands. Who's the real cook in this particular very crowded kitchen?

Meyer on "non-football people"

Aside from the chaos, a football insider like Meyer isn't especially sold on the idea of "non-football people" being the decision makers. Meyer went on an extended riff on that influence and its impact on college football.

There's a lot of reasons why the Southwest Conference and the Pac-12 are gone. There's a reason why Nebraska's in the Big 10. There's a reason why Arkansas made the decision to go to the SEC.... Those weren't football people-- you know, a football person would never say, 'That's a good idea.'
Urban Meyer

Meyer contrasted the LSU situation with his own prior situations, particularly speaking about Jeremy Foley, his athletic director at Florida. "I worked for Jeremy Foley. There was zero confusion. I wasn't meeting with a board," said Meyer. A different situation woudl not be desirable for Meyer. "If LSU was something I was looking at, I'd be like, wait a minute now," he explained.