Dandy Dons Take on Coach Hire

Yesterday, a lot of Tiger fans got their feathers ruffled when Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio and ESPN Radio gave his thoughts on LSU’s coaching search. Jones tweeted that his LSU source said the top three candidates for LSU’s head coaching job were Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brian and Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops.

Let me tell you what I’m confident in saying about this after speaking to two longtime trusted sources:

1. I’ll start with the most important and most rock-solid fact: There are only three people who know all the facts about LSU’s search: LSU athletic director Scott Woodward, Executive Deputy Stephanie Rempe and Executive Deputy Verge Ausberry. And they are tight-lipped.

2. Matt Jones’ source is wrong. Bill O’Brian and Mark Stoops are not high on LSU’s list.

3. Jimbo Fisher has already emphatically denied any interest in leaving Texas A&M and I believe him. Sure, coaches lie, but his type of denial is not the kind you walk back.

4. There are reports suggesting that LSU offered Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley $96M for eight years and that the ball is in his court. I was told that is not true. My personal take is that does not rule him out, but the idea that LSU put an official offer out and is now waiting on his response is not accurate.

5. I’m not discounting the possibility of LSU’s next head coach being somebody off the radar, so to speak. Whether or not that’s the case, I remain confident in Woodward making a strong hire, and I get the impression LSU likes where it stands right now.