LSU Tigers

LSU Football: Five Potential Candidates for the Head Coach Position

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Sep 10, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles congratulates Russell Gage (39) after a tackle against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks during the second half at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Jacksonville State 34-13. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

LSU fired long-time Head Coach Les Miles on sunday. That opens the door for someone else to come in and seize the job. The LSU administration is in the unenviable position of having to replace one of the greatest head coaches in the school’s history.

Who they hire will shape the destiny of the LSU program for years to come. The Tigers have gotten lucky with the last two head coaching hires. Nick Saban built the team into a national powerhouse. Les Miles kept the ship on course. Will the next coach be able to do the same?

What kind of coach will LSU look for? Do they want a defensive-minded coach or an offensive-minded one? The fans would certainly love to see their offense evolve into a more dynamic attack. But does the LSU administration feel the same way?

Currently, Ed Orgeron is the Interim Head Coach. Obviously if he is able to work some magic then he could potentially win the job permanently. However, he was unable to do so when he was the Interim Head Coach at USC. In addition, his head coaching performance at Ole Miss was abysmal.

If he doesn’t here are five potential candidates we think LSU should at least look into. Be sure to add your own potential candidates in the comments below. We will start with the 5th best candidate and work our way down to number one. If you follow college football you probably already have a good guess as to who holds the top spot. Off we go!

Sep 24, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Larry Fedora yells out in the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

5. Larry Fedora

Fedora is 54 years old and is a Texas native. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Austin College. From there he moved on to Garland High School where he was an assistant coach. Then he climbed the ladder to Baylor where he coached wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs.

After leaving Baylor, Fedora coached wide receivers at Air Force before becoming offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee. Fedora would also serve as offensive coordinator at Florida and Oklahoma State before finally getting a head coaching job at Southern Miss.

At Southern Miss, Fedora led his teams to a 34-19 record over four years and a Conference-USA championship in 2011. Immediately after that, Fedora agreed to take the head coaching position at North Carolina. Thus far his team has gone 35-21 over four and a third seasons at UNC. Last season Fedora led the Heels to a division title.

Verdict:

I think Fedora would be a good fit for LSU. He has a keen offensive mind and has experience recruiting in the Southeast. However, he’s not the sexy big-name hire that LSU is looking for. Nevertheless, if some of the bigger names turn them down, don’t be surprised to see Fedora on the sidelines in Baton Rouge next season.

Sep 24, 2016; Huntington, WV, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Bobby Petrino looks on from the sidelines against the Marshall Thundering Herd in the second half at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The Louisville Cardinals won 59-28. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

4. Bobby Petrino

Bobby Petrino is a really hot name in the coaching ranks right now. Everyone remembers his disastrous fall from grace with the Arkansas Razorbacks, but that doesn’t matter to a hungry LSU fanbase.

Petrino is 55 and hails from Lewistown Montana. Over the course of his career, Petrino has been a GA, a wide receiver coach, a quarterback coach, an offensive coordinator, and a head coach. Petrino first rose to national prominence when he became a head coach at Louisville in 2003.

During his first stint with the Cardinals, Petrino led the team to wo conference titles and a win in the Orange Bowl. He then left to become the coach of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. His one season in the NFL was a disaster. Petrino bolted for Arkansas.

During his time with the Hogs, Petrino amassed a 34-17 record. His last two seasons with the Hogs were both double-digit win campaigns. He looked poised to take Arkansas to the next level. Then the motorcycle incident happened.

Petrino was eventually fired by Athletic Director Jeff Long. But he didn’t stay unemployed for long. After a one year vacation Petrino was hired as head coach of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He coached there for one season. The Hilltoppers went 8-4.

In the 2014 season Petrino returned to Louisville, where he has been ever since. Currently his team is undefeated and ranked number four in the entire country.

Verdict:

Petrino would be a great hire for LSU. He offers something Les Miles and his staff didn’t, competent quarterback coaching. Could Petrino turn Brandon Harris into Lamar Jackson? Probably not. But he would undoubtedly make him a better player. LSU’s offense would quickly become one of the best in the SEC. And the LSU defense would be good as long as Petrino hired a quality defensive coordinator. This would be a home-run hire. But do they want the media scrutiny? We will see.

Nov 14, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Art Briles looks on against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

3. Art Briles

Speaking of media scrutiny, Art Briles is currently looking for work. Briles was fired by Baylor, along with the president and athletic director, for allegedly ignoring athlete sexual misconduct. The situation was quite messy. Nevertheless, Briles is too good of a coach not to get another job somewhere. It probably won’t be LSU. But I’m sure the LSU administration will do their due diligence.

Briles is 60 years old and was born in Rule, Texas. He has coached in Texas his entire career. He was a high school coach for 20 years before getting the position of running back coach at Texas Tech. He left after three seasons to take the head coaching job at Houston.

While he was with the Cougars, Briles led the team to a 34-28 record. He won a conference title in 2006 and a division title in 2007. He then left Houston to become the head coach at Baylor.

During his time at Baylor, the Bears won two Big 12 titles, and compiled a record of 65-37. Baylor had been a perennial cupcake until Briles’s arrival. But he soon turned the team into a national power by installing an up-tempo air-raid offense.

Verdict:

I don’t think LSU wants the media firestorm that would ignite if they hired Briles. However, the goal of any football program is to win. And Briles knows how to do that. He would bring a sophisticated, modern offense with him. And, his Texas connections could help the Tiger recruiting effort in that extremely fertile state. Similar to Petrino, Briles would be a huge get for LSU, but he might not be worth the trouble. Only time will tell.

Sep 24, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher looks on from the bench in the second quarter against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

2. Jimbo Fisher

If the LSU administration decides to go with a less controversial option, then Jimbo Fisher might just be the man for the job. He mishandled the Jameis Winston situation, but the media has already forgotten about it.

Jimbo is 50 years old and is originally from Clarksburg, West Virginia. Like the other coaches on this list, Fisher is an offensive minded coach. He served as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at several schools.

Most notably, Jimbo was the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for Nick Saban at LSU for five seasons. After Saban left for the NFL, Fisher stayed on for an additional two seasons with Les Miles.

Fisher then went on to take the same position at Florida State. After one season there he was named “head coach in waiting.” Fisher’s wait came to an end after the 2009 season, when Bobby Bowden retired.

During his time as Florida State head coach, Fisher has been fantastic. He led his team to a 71-15 record, three ACC titles, and one BCS National Championship. Unlike the other coaches on this list, Fisher runs more of a traditional pro-style offense.

Verdict:

Jimbo has very little head coaching experience compared to some of the other names on this list. However, he has been incredibly successful in his short time as Head Coach. Jimbo is familiar with LSU. He knows how to recruit in Louisiana. And now he knows how to recruit in Florida. Jimbo would also be a good fit for the personnel LSU currently has. Fisher would be a great hire, and he probably would have the most immediate success.

Sep 15, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Tom Herman answers questions during a post game interview after defeating the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium. Houston won 40-16. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

1. Tom Herman

Tom Herman is the hottest name in coaching right now. Everybody wants him. Would he leave Houston for LSU? I don’t know. But LSU would be fools not to make a run at Herman.

Herman is the youngest coach on this list at just 41 years old. He is from Cincinnati Ohio. Like Briles, Herman has spent the majority of his coaching career in Texas. Also like Briles, Herman has developed a reputation as an offensive genius.

Herman served as an offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Texas State, Rice, Iowa State, and Ohio State. During his time at Ohio State, the Buckeyes won the first College Football Playoff National Championship.

After his success with the Buckeyes, Herman accepted the head coaching position at Houston. During his short career with the Cougars, Herman has led the team to an astonishing 17-1 record and a conference title. The Cougars look poised to earn another one this season. They are currently ranked seventh in the nation.

Verdict:

It is tough to know how Herman would perform at LSU. However, all signs point to him being the next great head coach in college football. He knows offense. He knows how to recruit Texas. And, most importantly, he is young. He could coach for another 30 years. If LSU can get him, they will have won the coaching lottery.

Sep 24, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Danny Etling (16) looks for a receiver on the last play of the game against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium. The play was later overturned and the Auburn Tigers beat the LSU Tigers 18-13. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

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