LSU athletic director Joe Alleva will have to hire a new football coach in the next few weeks. And after last week’s 16-10 home loss to Florida, it probably won’t be Ed Orgeron.
But recent decision-making combined with some level of program dysfunction has made the process more difficult than it should be (and that will continue into the offseason). As Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel suggests, the last year has not been very good to LSU, and a handful of controversial actions — and in some cases a lack thereof — has made the next coaches’ job an even greater challenge.
“Even if the Tigers had won (on Saturday), it really wouldn’t have mattered as LSU has long been headed toward a lost season after early flops against Wisconsin and Auburn,” Thamel wrote. “LSU is 6–4 and Alleva’s pitch to a new coach will be, Hey, my misguided vision means you’ll be playing Florida in Gainesville your first two years. So enjoy that.”
According to the column, “the meddling forces that have guided some of the poor decisions around LSU still loom large,” meaning obstacles remain if the Tigers are to land a home-run hire. LSU’s top target is expected to be Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher, who served as an assistant at the school under Nick Saban and Les Miles from 2000-2006.
But Fisher has remained adamant in the notion that he loves being with the Seminoles, and frankly, a move from the ACC Atlantic to the SEC West — a division with Alabama — would not be easy, especially considering the inevitable obstacles the next LSU coach faces.
“(Tom) Herman is a viable name there, but it would be hard to imagine him choosing LSU over Texas considering his connections to the state,” wrote Thamel. “If Fisher turns down LSU, there’s few obvious choices. (Larry) Fedora would be a top name. Maybe (Gary) Patterson’s name comes up as well? There’d likely be some NFL interest, as LSU is one of the best jobs in the country. Names like Stanford’s David Shaw, Washington’s Chris Petersen, Louisville’s Bobby Petrino and West Virginia’s Dana Holgorsen are completely unrealistic.”
It’s the Monday before college football’s annual “Black Sunday,” where we generally see the most announcements for coaches who have been relieved of their duties. We should have a much stronger grasp on LSU’s future by this time next week.
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
