Jack Del Rio?

I knew this name would pop up. It does every LSU coaching search.
NO

I like Jack Del Rio. I liked him in the past as a player, a coach and a candidate for the LSU job.

However, he is now 58 and has never, ever coached in college.

The biggest difference between being a college HC and a NFL HC is recruiting. And that is more than hitting the high schools. There is so much more talent evaluation and decision to be made by a college head coach than an NFL head coach.

The NFL head coach has both a zillion more resources and the limitations of the draft, salary cap and free agency (although the transfer portal and "opt outs" are starting to look like free agency for college coaches now). The college head coach is basically the face of the program, the salesperson and it is almost wholly on him to close about 2/3 of the recruiting slots.

It is a quantum level difference in demand for that phase of the job. It is one thing if a guy goes back and forth and has demonstrated he can do it at the college level (even if it is only as a coordinator). But a pure pro coach coming to a college setting (and LSU at that) and, at 58 has to learn recruiting, too?

I would be very reluctant.

Vinny Del Negro