SB Nation claims to have LSU's coaching wish list

quote:

---

SB Nation has also obtained a list, according to multiple sources around the program, of favored candidates outside of Orgeron. His run in four remaining regular season games largely determines his placement on such a list.

A few things:

The candidates are ordered by the level of support they’re receiving from LSU boosters and members of the board of supervisors.
No written list is physically posted on a wall in Alleva’s office.
Every name is covered by plausible deniability. That’s how head coaching searches work. No, these coaches have not interviewed for the job or expressed public interest.

---

quote:

---

1. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State head coach. Fisher has attained a cult status around Baton Rouge since he left for Tallahassee a decade ago, partially because he’s the first of what LSU boosters believe is a string of offensive coordinator casualties under Miles, or play-callers who were limited by the former Tigers head coach.

In a vacuum, Fisher makes sense. He’s 73-17 at FSU and won a national title by developing top quarterback talent. He’s connected in the LSU community, familiar with recruiting Louisiana and the Southeast, and a proven manager.

But he’s also gainfully employed at a top program. Luring Fisher would mean paying a huge annual salary (he currently makes more than $5 million) and a large buyout.

And it’s assumed Alleva wants a total refresh in culture, which is less to do with Fisher and more to do with those LSU boosters supporting him.

---

quote:

---

2. Tom Herman, Houston head coach. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. Since flashing the “UH” hand sign on the field while Ohio State celebrated its 2015 national title, the former Buckeyes OC has been a force of nature at Houston and in the press.

Herman is 20-3 in two seasons with wins over Oklahoma and Fisher’s Florida State. That’s enough to earn attention nationwide. Houston is somewhat an extension of Louisiana, even when it comes to LSU fans and boosters. He’s a California native with Texas coaching roots and a B1G pedigree on the Urban Meyer tree, plus he’s winning already recruiting battles against bigger programs.

But forget all that. Did you know Herman helped beat Nick Saban’s Alabama defense in the Sugar Bowl two seasons ago? LSU boosters do.

The problem from LSU’s vantage is that as Texas goes, so does Herman. If Charlie Strong doesn’t survive 2016, LSU boosters are hesitant to lock into a bidding war with the Longhorns for a two-year AAC head coach with no direct ties to Louisiana.

---

quote:

---

3. Jim Mora, UCLA head coach. Mora has significantly less buzz with LSU boosters than Fisher or Herman, but there’s interest in a former NFL head coach recruiting Louisiana talent. Mora had back-to-back 10-win seasons at UCLA, but the Bruins finished 8-5 last season and are 3-5 entering Thursday night’s game at surging Colorado.

Mora is the son of former New Orleans Saints head coach Jim E. Mora, and the younger Mora has drawn interest from LSU influencers in New Orleans as a slightly younger contrast to Miles, as one source put it. Recent record aside, Mora’s shown a willingness to change up offensive schemes, can impress boosters with the fact he’s been in the NFL, and has a likely NFL quarterback in injured sophomore Josh Rosen.

That might not translate to the SEC (where he’s never coached) or LSU, but boosters frustrated with their perception of Miles’ player development find it enticing.

---

quote:

---

4. Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia head coach. The college coaching job market comes at you fast. Holgorsen, 45, was considered a lame duck entering 2016, with a 36-28 record over his five seasons in the Big 12, but after a 6-1 start, he’s back in favor.

A faction of LSU boosters in Houston consider him an offensive mind who’s never been given elite talent to work with. It also helps that of the coaches in the Mike Leach air raid tree, Holgorsen has embraced the run more than others.

That tree, however, was designed in large part to compensate for a lack of five-star talent in places like Lubbock and Morgantown. But points are points, and for his supporters, Holgorsen’s stats feel like an antidote to Miles’ offenses.

---

quote:

---

5. “A candidate who is young and offense-minded.” Say Fisher is content with FSU and Herman jumps to Texas. There’s a massive gap between No. 2 and 3 on this list, and if it gets to that point, the field is open.

Mora and Holgorsen’s names have been promoted specifically, but they would compete against a growing field.

“The logic for Alleva is: if you don’t go with Orgeron, you go in a strong, opposite direction to rebrand the LSU head coaching job completely. Find youth and an offense you can market, and build support in-state through hires on the staff,” one source said.

---