When LSU lost a key front-office operator to the East Coast this summer, it became a crater in the org chart. The Tigers had just seen the mastermind who oversaw football, gymnastics, and even the blueprint for a shiny new basketball arena pack up for Rutgers. The move left Baton Rouge wondering who could possibly slide into that chair without missing a beat. Turns out Brian Kelly and LSU went shopping in G5 country and brought home a proven winner.
So, who is this big hire expected to bring changes in Baton Rouge? On August 8, Wilson Alexander dropped the news on X. “LSU announced it hired Julie Cromer as its new executive deputy AD/COO. Cromer, who was the athletic director at Ohio University since 2019, replaced the departed Keli Zinn.” Julie Cromer holds more accolades than you can imagine with her transformational energy. The news was first announced by LSU’s Director of Athletes Scott Woodward on Friday.
LSU announced it hired Julie Cromer as its new executive deputy AD/COO. Cromer, who was the athletic director at Ohio University since 2019, replaced the departed Keli Zinn.
— Wilson Alexander (@whalexander_) August 8, 2025
Julie Cromer’s been running Ohio University’s athletic department since 2019, and all she does is win. Under her watch, the Bobcats turned into a MAC powerhouse in multiple sports, set digital engagement records, and even scored the school’s largest-ever gift to women’s athletics. She’s been MAC champion-maker, NCAA Transformation Committee co-chair, and was the 2023 Nike Executive of the Year by Women Leaders in College Sports. She was also named 2024 NACDA Athletics Director of the Year and is also a member of the Sports Business Journal 2022 Game Changer class. LSU hired a nationally recognized builder.
“Julie is a widely respected leader in college athletics who brings tremendous experience at the highest levels to our university,” Scott Woodward said. “Not only is her perspective as an established athletic director invaluable to charting our path forward, but her previous experience at the executive level impacting several institutions will help drive our continued growth and success.”
At LSU, Julie Cromer will oversee all 21 varsity programs, handle revenue generation, spearhead capital projects, and drive strategic initiatives. At Ohio, she engineered one of the best turnarounds in FBS history with a 10-4 football season in 2022 that ended with a MAC East title and an Arizona Bowl win. In Baton Rouge, she’s walking into a program where the expectations are bigger, the spotlight is hotter, and the trophy cases are much, much heavier. And while the front office was making boardroom moves, the rumor mill was spinning out of control on the practice field.
Brian Kelly calms the Garrett Nussmeier rumor
Social media lit up with claims that LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had blown out his knee in a closed session. They said it’s season over before it began. Brian Kelly took the matter in his hands to extinguish the gossip saying “thought I’d calm everybody down.” “Just for the record, he has tendinitis. Patella tendinitis,” he said. “He does not have a torn ACL, we have not amputated his leg.” The way he’s speaking only mirrors the level of severity the rumors are spreading.
Brian Kelly explained it’s 1.5 of 10 on the panic scale, the kind of thing athletes deal with all the time. “It’s like guys dealing with tendinitis virtually every day, in life. Take two aspirins and I’ll call you in the morning, right?” he joked. “This is more precautionary.” he said, adding that Garrett Nussmeier was already throwing and could be back in practice almost immediately.
But while this isn’t doomsday, tendonitis isn’t the kind of guest you want hanging around at this time of the year. LSU will be keeping an eye on it, especially with Clemson looming on August 30. For now, the Tigers can breathe easy. The front office just landed a battle-tested leader, the QB1 is still standing, and the biggest injury in Baton Rouge might just be the one to the rumor mill’s credibility. Because in college football, momentum off the field is just as important as the yards you gain on it. And LSU, it seems, just picked up both.
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