BATON ROUGE, LA – Governor Jeff Landry announced plans Saturday after the LSU-Vanderbilt game to request federal disaster relief funds to cover LSU’s $60 million buyout for head coach Brian Kelly, calling the contract “a catastrophic event of unnatural origin” and adding that he’s asked former President Donald Trump to “make FEMA pay up.”
During a press conference, Landry said the declaration would make the state eligible for immediate FEMA assistance. “Louisiana knows disaster recovery,” Landry explained. “We’ve rebuilt after floods, hurricanes, and Curley Hallman. We can rebuild after this too.”
Officials confirmed the Governor’s Office has already submitted a formal request citing “widespread emotional and fiscal devastation” throughout the Baton Rouge area. FEMA reportedly asked for clarification on whether the damage was “still ongoing” or if the state was simply “in denial.”
Meanwhile, LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward praised the move, saying it was “the first time someone else offered to pay for my mistakes.”
Experts warn, however, that even if FEMA approves the request, it might only cover “immediate cleanup,” not the emotional debris of the Kelly era, which economists estimate could linger for decades.
