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LSU experienced one of its best athletic years in recent memory. The Tigers won the Fiesta Bowl, took home the SEC regular season title in basketball, and made the Sweet 16 for the first time in over a decade. Despite all of LSU’s athletic success this year, athletic director Joe Alleva will reportedly step down from his position, according to the Baton Rouge Business Report.
Alleva has become an unpopular figure at the school over the past couple of years. The fans were upset that it took so long for him to fire head coach Les Miles in 2015. They wanted Alleva to sign current Texas A&M Jimbo Fisher to a contract.
He has become more unpopular after the Will Wade scandal that affected the basketball team over the past two months. The coach was caught on an FBI wiretap for offering a recruit money to come to LSU. Alleva suspended Wade indefinitely but reinstated him as head coach after the season ended.
The 65-year old was named athletic director in 2008 after holding the same position at Duke. Alleva was criticized for his handling of the Duke lacrosse case. He forced the lacrosse coach at the time, Mike Pressler, to resign on April 5, 2006.
The university has not released the full details on Alleva’s departure but LSU has already started looking for his replacement. A source within the school stated that LSU has already worked a deal with a recognizable name in collegiate athletics with an official announcement coming shortly.
The quick change from athletic director makes it sound like LSU was planning to get rid of Alleva in the first place. The current athletic director has not officially stepped down from his position yet the school has already hired his successor from outside the university. LSU wants to rid itself of the mess that occurred under Alleva’s watch and believe a new athletic director is a good start.
The Tigers’ new athletic director will be revealed shortly as Alleva will no longer be at LSU.
