LSU coach Ed Orgeron, others in athletic department taking 5 percent cut amid COVID losses

BATON ROUGE - The LSU athletic department laid off employees and announced salary and bonus cuts for coaches, including head football coach Ed Orgeron, on Thursday because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Orgeron, who is the second highest paid college coach in the country at $8.9 million a year, has voluntarily agreed to have his salary reduced by five percent in 2021 as has LSU athletic director Scott Woodward.

Orgeron will lose $300,000 in 2021 as the five percent will be taken from his salary from LSU alone, which is $6 million a year, LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette confirmed. He receives the other $2.9 million a year from other entities, particularly the Tiger Athletic Foundation - the fund raising arm of the LSU athletic department.

"I was very willing," Orgeron said Thursday night during a regularly scheduled teleconference. "With the deficit they have, it's understandable."

LSU has projected it will lose $80 million or more because of the COVID-19 pandemic that began ending and postponing sports seasons last March. All athletic department staff earning more than $80,000 a year - excluding coaches under contract - will be subject to a five percent decrease in salary in 2021.

Coaches under contract making more than $80,000 a year do not have to take a five percent decrease in 2021, but they can volunteer to do so.

"I think five percent is very generous on their part," Orgeron said. "I know some other staffs are even going 10 percent or higher. So, I was glad to do it."

In addition to Orgeron, baseball coach Paul Mainieri, who makes $1.2 million a year, has volunteered to cut five percent of his salary in 2021.

All bonus money in the contracts of coaches in all sports will not be awarded in 2021, the athletic department also said.

"LSU Athletics announced a compensation reduction plan to help mitigate the impact of an expected $80 million loss in revenue as a result of the coronavirus pandemic," said a statement from Woodward's office. "The department initiated several costs savings measures since March, and today announced the additional step of a department-wide reduction in compensation."

Orgeron's salary dramatically increased to $8,918,500 early this year after his 2019 Tigers won the national championship.

Only Alabama coach Nick Saban made more than Orgeron at $9,300,000 before LSU's cuts.

Woodward's salary is $1.5 million a year. With a five percent cut, his salary in 2021 will be reduced by $75,000.

Mainieri's salary would likely be cut by $60,000.

LSU did not announce what employees were laid off. but Jason Suitt, a LSU assistant athletic director for fan engagement, said on his Twitter account that he no longer has a job.

"Well my friends, COVID-19 has hit the Suitt household," he said. "As of today, LSU has eliminated my position with athletics. The world will keep moving, and the sun will once again come up tomorrow (I hope). I have thoroughly enjoyed working at LSU and will consider myself a Tiger."

LSU senior associate athletic director for communications Robert Munson has also been let go. 

"In addition to this compensation reduction plan, the department made the difficult but necessary decision to restructure certain functions and eliminate several positions," the athletic department statement read. "These efforts were made to streamline productivity, eliminate redundancies and create efficiencies throughout the department."

Any new hires, position replacements, promotions or equity adjustments will not be made unless approved by the athletic department in essential situations through June 30 of 2023, the statement added. 

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"LSU athletics believes that we will successfully weather this current crisis," the athletic department statement concluded. "Moreover, these difficult decisions will lead to a stronger, more stable Department of Athletics in the years ahead that will continue to allow our programs and our student-athletes to flourish."

LSU's football program will not suffer any significant cuts, according to Orgeron.

"The thing I like about it is they didn't cut anything from the football team," he said. "Nothing from my athletes. We're still traveling the same way. We still have the same amount of food."

LSU (2-2) travels to Auburn, Ala., on Friday to play Auburn (3-2) at 2:30 p.m. on CBS.

"They never asked us anything about cutting things that are important to our football players," Orgeron said. "And I think that's the most important thing. I want the best for the players - the best food and the best facilities, best uniforms. And we have that. So they're giving us the best that they can."