Board approves multiple athletics contracts, including high-value assistant coach agreement

Miss Julie Cromer, the executive deputy athletic director filling in for the vice president, presented four athletics-related contract items and explained terms before the board voted. The agenda included a two-year assistant coach contract for George McDonald with initial first-year compensation listed at $800,000; five-year head-coach contracts for men's golf coach Jake Amos (first-year compensation $320,000 with $5,000 annual escalators) and women's golf coach Garrett Runyon (first-year $285,000), and a two-year extension for head volleyball coach Tanya Johnson with a $290,000 first-year salary and no escalator.

Committee motions for each item were taken one-by-one and approved by the board. The athletics committee also approved employment agreements for coaches at LSU Shreveport (men's basketball coach Kyle Blankenship at $98,000; women's basketball coach Deacon Jones at $80,000; men's soccer coach Adam Kaye at $63,000) and approved a new athletics director at LSU New Orleans (Michael G. Orlando, $200,000 annually). The committee added two late LSU New Orleans coach contracts by unanimous motion—men's golf coach Jeff Loriaux ($60,000, two years) and men's basketball coach Stacy Hollowell (approx. $250,000)—and approved them as well.

Why it matters: Athletics contracts affect personnel budgets, revenue generation and the public profile of LSU athletics. Several contracts carry significant compensation and were approved in committee and on the board record during this session.