ESPN: Top 5 candidates to replace Brian Kelly

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For the third consecutive Sunday in October, a major college football coaching job has opened, and LSU is the biggest of them all.

Brian Kelly is out midway through his fourth season at LSU, and a night after his third loss of the 2025 season. LSU was blown out, 49-24, by Texas A&M, which scored 35 unanswered points to win in Tiger Stadium for the first time since 1994. An LSU season that began with national championship aspirations and a road win against Clemson -- the Tigers' first season-opening win under Kelly -- sidetracked very quickly with consecutive losses to Vanderbilt and Texas A&M.

Kelly, who stunningly left Notre Dame for a chance to win his first FBS national championship, never even made the College Football Playoff at LSU. He won a division title in his first season in 2022 but never finished higher than 13th in the final CFP standings. Kelly is the first LSU coach to not win a national championship there since Gerry DiNardo, whose tenure ended after the 1999 season. He finishes his Tigers tenure at 34-14, having lost multiple games in SEC play in all four seasons on the Bayou.

LSU's firing throws another surprising twist into an incredibly active coaching cycle. Although Penn State and Florida are both A-list jobs, LSU is on a tier of its own. LSU is the only Power 4 program in a state rich with talent. The fact three very different coaches -- Nick Saban, Les Miles and Ed Orgeron -- all won national championships there speaks to the job's potential and overall excellence.

Is it a perfect job? No. The politics and occasional dysfunction around LSU are baked in there. Athletics director Scott Woodward's future is also in question after the Kelly hire failed so miserably and led to a $54 million buyout. But the potential at LSU is massive and every potential candidate knows what the program can be when everything is aligned. Buckle up. Things are about to get even wilder. -- Adam Rittenberg

Five candidates for the job

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin: LSU's firing of Kelly could be really bad news for Florida, which has made little secret of its desire to bring Kiffin to Gainesville. Perhaps Florida can still get its man, but Kiffin should be near or at the very top of LSU's wish list. He wouldn't have to deal with in-state competitors there, and would lead a program with few if any limitations with resources, facilities and fan base. Kiffin is 51-19 at Ole Miss and has the Rebels positioned for their first-ever CFP appearance this season, which could end up hurting his chances to take another job. But he doesn't need to be sold on LSU's history and the recruiting advantages. The 50-year-old is 112-53 as an FBS coach.

Tulane coach Jon Sumrall: He's arguably the hottest name outside of the Power 4, and will have opportunities to lead higher-profile programs soon, especially in the SEC. Sumrall, 43, is already in the state at Tulane, which is 15-6 under his watch and positioned for a possible American conference title and its first CFP appearance this season. He also was an assistant at Tulane from 2012 to 2014 and knows the recruiting scene in and around New Orleans as well as anyone. The jump to the Power 4 and a program like LSU can't be ignored, but those who know Sumrall expect him to transition well. He played in the SEC at Kentucky and coached linebackers at both Ole Miss and Kentucky before landing his first head-coaching job at Troy, which he led to consecutive Sun Belt titles. Sumrall is 38-10 overall as an FBS coach.

Marcus Freeman reached the 12-team CFP in 2024. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman: Would LSU successfully swipe Notre Dame's coach twice in a row? It's hard to say. Should LSU make inquiries about Freeman? Absolutely. He has established himself as one of the sport's top young coaches at just 39. Freeman is the first Notre Dame coach to win a CFP game -- three in fact -- as he guided the Fighting Irish to the national championship game last fall. He's 38-12 as Notre Dame's coach and has the team positioned for a possible CFP return if it can win out. Coincidentally, Freeman turned down LSU's defensive coordinator job with Orgeron to join Kelly at Notre Dame. He has spent his entire career in his native Ohio or neighboring Indiana, and a move to the SEC could be jarring. Freeman ultimately might target the NFL as his next step, but he would at least have to consider a top program like LSU.

Georgia Tech coach Brent Key: He's a Georgia Tech guy and has his alma mater positioned for a run at the ACC title and the program's first-ever CFP appearance. Key wouldn't leave for just any job, but he would have to consider LSU. He's no stranger to the program after coaching Alabama's offensive line from 2016 to 2018 under Saban, and participating in the annual LSU showdown. Key, 47, grew up in Alabama and has spent his entire career in the Southeast, including more than a decade at UCF in various roles. Key is 26-16 at Georgia Tech as a first-time head coach, and has thrived in big games with a 7-1 record against ranked ACC opponents. He would bring a clear recruiting vision and an approach based around the line of scrimmage to LSU.

Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz: After Kiffin, Drinkwitz could be the top SEC coaching candidate who would look to move within the league. He has led Missouri since 2020, and has built a consistent, respected program that is 27-7 since the start of the 2024 season with a No. 8 finish and a Cotton Bowl title in 2023. Drinkwitz, 42, is an Arkansas native who came up under Gus Malzahn and worked at Auburn early in his coaching career. He hasn't taken down many SEC heavyweights but also hasn't been leading one of the league's historic powers. Drinkwitz should be able to upgrade LSU's offense and has been an aggressive and successful recruiter. Given greater reach and resources at LSU, he could really do some damage there

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