Ed Orgeron will be out as the head coach of LSU after this season thanks to a deal negotiated before the Tigers' surprising win over Florida on Saturday. Who could be next and why? Here are five names to watch.
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1. MEL TUCKER, Michigan State head coach
Why do I have Tucker No. 1 on this list? Because some insiders believe he’s the top choice of boosters due to his connections to Nick Saban at LSU and Alabama and the amazing job he’s done already at Michigan State. Some think he’s the next elite head coach in college football, in the same vein as Saban, Dabo Swinney and Urban Meyer. That’s heady stuff.
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2. JIMBO FISHER, Texas A&M head coach
LSU athletic director Scott Woodward was the man who lured Jimbo Fisher from Florida State to Texas A&M and we all know how well he’d do at LSU. But what about that contract? Yes, LSU would have to pay a hefty price to steal him away but it’s not a buyout situation as you may think. It’s just that LSU would probably have to pay Fisher in the $11-12 million a year range. But Woodward has expensive tastes.
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3. JAMES FRANKLIN, Penn State head coach
James Franklin has been mentioned for the USC job and he’d kill it there but remember what he did at Vanderbilt in the SEC? And that’s Vanderbilt where he won nine games twice. Vanderbilt. At LSU he could have national title dreams alive immediately with his coaching and recruiting ability.
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4. LANE KIFFIN, Ole Miss head coach
Lane Kiffin is a big name now after rehabbing at Alabama and now leading the Rebels and their high-powered offense. He’s a huge splash hire and would certainly bring excitement to the program. We all know he’s one of the few that wouldn’t worry about the pressure of leaving one SEC West job for another.
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5. MARIO CRISTOBAL, Oregon head coach
I’ve always picture Miami or Alabama for Mario Cristobal but think about this fit. Cristobal can recruit and no program has a bigger in-state recruiting advantage in the country than LSU. The names he would lure there would be amazing from Florida to the West Coast and of course everywhere in-between.
