Texas A&M may have finally beaten LSU on the football field but the Tigers just swung back in the SEC West rivalry as the Tigers have stolen away arguably the league’s best athletic director, Scott Woodward, from the Aggies.

Billy Liucci of TexAgs was the first to report that Woodward would be returning to Baton Rouge and LSU made the news official on Thursday. LSU plans to introduce Woodward as the school’s new AD on Tuesday.

LSU had an opening at the position after it was announced Joe Alleva would be transitioning to a new role at LSU on Wednesday. Based on the timing of these moves, LSU had to have clearly felt it had Woodward in the bag before moving on from Alleva. Credit the school for moving quickly and efficiently leaving the AD position in Baton Rouge effectively open for less than 24 hours.

Woodward’s stock is at an all-time high after luring Jimbo Fisher and Buzz Williams to College Station, two near-universally praised hires for Texas A&M. To Woodward’s credit, he also hired Chris Petersen at Washington following the coach’s historic run at Boise State. That move was one few believed could be done, much like A&M’s hire of Fisher away from Florida State.

Woodward, a Baton Rouge native, previously worked at LSU as Director of External Affairs from 2000-2004. He was later named AD at Washington in 2008 and landed the AD position in College Station in January of 2016.

“We are happy to welcome a fellow Tiger back home,” said LSU President F. King Alexander. “Scott brings a strong track record of winning championships, graduating student-athletes and building an infrastructure for future achievement. His leadership will take us into a new era for Tiger Athletics.”

Woodward offered up the following statement with the news:

“Returning home to the LSU family to lead the department of athletics is incredibly humbling and exciting. The state university has been a part of my life for more than five decades, and I know – and I embrace – the high expectations of Tiger Nation. We will win championships and we will do it the right way, representing LSU with pride and dignity every step of the way. I want to thank President Alexander for the opportunity of a lifetime and I cannot wait to get started. Geaux Tigers!”