Rumors travel fast especially when it comes to high seat replacements. When LSU announced it was parting ways with AD Scott Woodward following the firing of Brian Kelly, the internet instantly fired up speculation. With the AD gone and deputy AD Verge Ausberry only serving as an interim, Tiger fans started whispering about who could be next. Naturally, it pointed to Georgia athletic director who’s a Louisiana native and LSU alum. But turns out, he has other plans with Kirby Smart and co. 

Before those whispers turned into roars, Josh Brooks took to X on October 31 and shut the door and locked it. “Georgia fans — with success often comes speculation, but I want to address it directly,” he wrote. “I have not been contacted by anyone at LSU, and more importantly, I have no interest in any other job. My full focus remains on the University of Georgia, our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and fans.” It was a mic-drop moment from Athens, delivered with precision, the kind of straightforward clarity you don’t often see in the rumor-riddled world of college athletics.

Josh Brooks didn’t stop there. He made it clear he’s exactly where he wants to be. ““This is home to me, and I’m honored to play a part in the incredible progress we’ve made together,” he added, crediting the leadership around him from UGA President Jere Morehead to Governor Brian Kemp for sharing the same commitment to Georgia’s success. “The best days for Georgia Athletics are still ahead, and I look forward to continuing to build on the championship standard we’ve established here in Athens. Let’s go have some fun in Jacksonville! Go Dawgs!”

Still, it’s easy to see Josh Brooks in Louisiana given his roots. Before landing in Athens, the Hammond, LA native cut his teeth at LSU graduating in 2002 and working in football operations for both the Tigers and Louisiana-Monroe. His Bayou roots run deep, but his career blossomed between the hedges. Since joining Georgia in 2016, he has climbed the ladder from executive associate AD to deputy AD, and finally to athletic director in 2021. 

Under Josh Brook’s watch, Georgia has been productive. Two national championships in football, a men’s basketball renaissance under Mike White, and back-to-back postseason runs in baseball led by Wes Johnson. Simply put, he has turned UGA into a model of stability and success, the kind of place you don’t walk away from lightly. And besides, the LSU job suddenly looks like a hot seat in disguise as Kirby Smart pointed out. 

Kirby Smart drops a warning for the next LSU HC

LSU’s front office is in chaos. No AD, no president (for now), and no football HC. Governor Jeff Landry even admitted Scott Woodward wouldn’t be allowed to make the next football hire before he stepped down. Earlier this week, Kirby Smart dropped a cautionary tale. Reflecting on his brief stint under Nick Saban at LSU in 2004, the Dawgs HC recalled someone telling him he was just borrowing the office. 

Twenty years later, Kirby Smart hasn’t forgotten that lesson. “I knew then if you didn’t win, you wouldn’t be there long,” he told 247Sports, a not-so-subtle warning to whoever inherits the Tigers’ job next. And he’s right. Right now, LSU is a pressure cooker where three of the last four HCs have won national titles. And yet, none lasted more than a few years after falling short of the next one.

For now, Georgia’s empire rolls on. Kirby Smart’s got his Dawgs ranked fifth and heading to Jacksonville for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. And Josh Brooks will be watching from the press box, right where he belongs in red and black, not purple and gold.