Backstage at the hiring of new promotional agent Scott Woodward by LSU and the dismissal of Joe Alleva | LSU

A day after the announcement of a dramatic change in the LSU Sports Department, the school officially announced that Texas A & M Sports Director, Scott Woodward, would return to his hometown to occupy the same post at Baton Rouge.

Woodward, a former student of Catholic High and LSU, said he was "returning home" in a joint press release with the university, adding that he was "incredibly humble and exciting" to to join LSU and that the Tigers' sports programs will "win championships and we will do it the right way."

LSU eliminated its sporting director, Joe Alleva, who had spent 11 years, and reached an agreement with Woodward in a matter of hours – an unusual quick transition from such regime shifts within Division I sports departments, which can sometimes take several month.

According to sources close to LSU's sports department, the university was able to act quickly because the LSU's supervisory board had already secured an interest from Woodward, a dream candidate would have been considered untouchable by the wealthy Texas A & M, which brought in nearly $ 212. millions of dollars in sports revenues in 2016-17, which would be the second in the country.

Discussions between board members about their dissatisfaction with Alleva was already underway when Woodward became a possible candidate, the sources said.

LSU's sports program is involved in a controversy, linked to a corruption scandal in college basketball, with a lengthy FBI investigation including wiretapped conversations by male basketball coach Will Wade and an accused middleman. bribes to assistant coaches and money to rookie families.

On Sunday, Wade returned from a suspension that held him away from the LSU's regular season finale and LSU tournament until Sweet 16. Wade had met with officials from University on Friday – his refusal to do so is what brought LSU to suspend him – and Alleva said that the coach had been reinstated after answering all questions and denied any wrongdoing.

But the dismissal from Alleva had little to do with Wade, sources told The Advocate. The board felt that Alleva had lost the trust of much of LSU's basic support base.

At the end of March, the LSU system launched a fundraising campaign of $ 1.5 billion, the largest target amount of any fundraising activity in the province. 39, history of Louisiana. Council members were looking for a sports director who could mobilize donors and have a reputation for being a successful fundraiser.

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But the $ 725,000 a year contract between Alleva and the university made the transition difficult. The contract is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2020 and, if terminated by LSU without cause, Alleva would be entitled to 100% of the remaining base salary, approximately $ 650,000.

The chairman of the board, James Williams, who knew Woodward during his stay at LSU, first told him about a possible deal, sources said.

Woodward arrived with the Texas A & M baseball team when he went to play a three-game series at Alex Box Stadium from April 5th to 6th. Williams forwarded requests for comment on his role in the landing of Woodward at LSU. University spokesman Ernie Ballard declined to answer questions in an e-mail, saying "this is the perfect time to welcome Scott Woodward home" and to thank Joe Alleva for his services.

Woodward still has close relationships and old friendships in Baton Rouge, where he worked from 2000 to 2004 as a representative of Chancellor Mark Emmert in the Sports Department as Director of External Relations.

These close ties have allowed both parties to express their mutual interest in Woodward becoming LSU's new athletic director, the sources said.

Woodward has carved an enviable reputation as a contract maker and program designer as a director of sports at the University of Washington and Texas A & M, which, according to board members, The administration, favorable to his court, would give LSU a necessary boost from his followers.

It also represented an opportunity for a smooth and fast transition between Alleva and Woodward.

Once Woodward emerged as a potential candidate, board discussions turned into a series of actions, including the seizure of LSU President F. King Alexander. Invited Thursday to comment, Alexander responded by email: "As president, I am responsible for hiring and returning sports directors. I am happy to bring Scott Woodward home to LSU and we are looking forward to LSU Athletics. "

The decision to dismiss Alleva as sports director was taken Tuesday evening at a meeting of the executive committee held by the board of directors, according to several members of the board of directors, who asked not to be identified.

At the meeting, the board only mentioned the "potential litigation" as its official task, but at the end of the night, the decision to replace Alleva by Woodward was made. But not all council members were present.

Members were expecting Alleva to retire, but Alexander wanted to retain him as the "special assistant to the president for donor relations," a position that surprised many people.

Richard Lipsey, a founding member of the Tiger Athletic Foundation, who financially supports LSU sports, said on Thursday that he was laughing at Alleva's entry into the president's office.

"The president has never collected money, nor has Joe Alleva," said Lipsey, a diligent critic of Alexander.

Alleva's responsibilities in his new position are uncertain.

Alleva was informed of his reassignment by Alexander, according to several sources close to the sports program, and Wednesday the university officially announced that Alleva was pulling out. An agreement was reached with Woodward a few hours later, the sources said.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Woodward earned $ 900,000 in base salary under a five-year contract that will expire in January 2021. He owes Texas A & M about $ 40,000 for his departure, according to the terms of the contract.

At A & M, two of Woodward's greatest successes were convincing Virginia Tech's Buzz Williams to be the men's basketball coach and recruiting Jimbo Fisher as a football coach. University of Washington from 2008 to 2015 and Vice Chancellor of Business from 2004-08. The latter was a position similar to that he held at LSU from 2000 to 2004 under Emmert. Prior to that, Woodward was a political consultant and legislative liaison officer in Baton Rouge, where he had founded a public relations company in the mid-1990s. LSU football coach Ed Orgeron, from Larose, recruiting Woodward marks the first time since February 1955 that LSU's sports director and football coach both come from Louisiana. T.P. "Skipper" Heard was then sports director and Gaynell Tinsley was the football coach before Paul Dietzel succeeded him that year.