UPDATED LSU Football Coaching Candidates List

Posted by Chicken

on 11/4/21 at 11:11 am

181

Here are the coaches that have won titles since 2000:
Nick Saban (7): 2003, 2009**, 2011*, 2012***, 2015, 2017*, 2020****
Urban Meyer (3): 2006, 2008, 2014
Dabo Swinney (2): 2016, 2018
Ed Orgeron (1): 2019
Les Miles (1): 2007
Mack Brown (1): 2005
Bob Stoops (1): 2000
Pete Carroll (1): 2004
Gene Chizik (1): 2010
Jim Tressel (1): 2002
Larry Coker (1): 2001
Jimbo Fisher (1): 2013

* Did not win division
** Colt McCoy left game in 1st quarter of BCS title game
*** Diminished title due to undefeated Ohio State's postseason ban
**** Diminished title due to COVID

Here are coaches that have taken their teams to the CFB playoffs but have never won a title:
Mark Helfrich (2014*)
Mark Dantonio (2015)
Chris Petersen (2016)
Lincoln Riley (2017, 2018, 2019)
Kirby Smart (2017*)
Brian Kelly (2018, 2020)
Ryan Day (2019, 2020*)

* Lost in Playoff National Championship game

NFL head coaches with prior college head coaching experience:
Matt Rhule
Urban Meyer
Pete Carroll
Kliff Kingsbury

This is your starting point...you immediately cross off Coker, Tresell, Brown, Helfrich, Dantonio, Chizik, Miles and Orgeron.

Others to cross off include Smart, Carroll, Kingbury, Day.

Regarding Urban, you do some forensic video analysis to make sure what his hands were doing in that video of the lady grinding on him...and keep him or toss him accordingly.

Everyone else left should be vetted and have their interest gauged. Then you throw in the up-and-comers list:

Fickell
Aranda
Napier
Tucker
Campbell
Franklin
Fleck
Cristobal

I would be shocked if the next coach is not listed above. You have some white whales and some assorted white fish.

The next guy needs to be hungry for a title, like recruiting and be good at it, be very organized, and understand the importance of hiring good assistants, especially coordinators...and last but not least, be squeaky clean.

Someone please send this to Woodward for me...

UPDATED LIST...reading between the lines...

Big Fish (aka White Whales) and possible reason for them jumping:
Jimbo Fisher - terrified of the idea of living rest of his life in College Station...wants realistic chance at winning another title.

Urban Meyer - quickly realized that NFL life is not what it's cracked up to be...wants to be first to win title at three different schools.

Lincoln Riley - perhaps he is tired of OU booster meddling...and feels that LSU offers better chance to win a title.

Matt Rhule - wants to follow Nick Saban career path and leave NFL after two seasons to return to his first love: college football

Nick Saban - regrets leaving LSU and wants to finish what he started

Dabo Swinney - wants in on the SEC action and win a title at a second school

Brian Kelly - also wants in on the SEC action and realizes that he has reached his ceiling at Notre Dame

Up-and-Comers:
Dave Aranda - limited head coaching resume, but very familiar with LSU

Billy Napier - proven winner at small school in Louisiana but is Sun Belt to SEC too big of a jump?

Mel Tucker - great recruiter but also has limited head coaching resume

Matt Campbell - success at Iowa State should be commended...but is he willing to leave the Midwest for SEC Country?

Mario Cristobal - part of Saban tree, ready to move back to the Southeast?

Luke Fickell - deep ties to the Midwest...can he be pulled away from Ohio?

Wildcards:
Chris Petersen - ready to work for Woody again?

Bob Stoops - itching to get back to the grind?

*** UPDATE November 28 ***
Eliminating names based on hire not being made yet as of Sunday after A&M game...I think we are left with:

Urban Meyer
Matt Rhule
Nick Saban
Brian Kelly
Luke Fickell
Dave Aranda
Mario Cristobal

Still a chance that Woodward is finalizing details with Matt Campbell or Mark Stoops. Stay tuned!

This post was edited on 11/29 at 5:40 pm