Less than two years after winning a national title with one of college football's greatest teams, Ed Orgeron is out as LSU's coach.
A messy 2020 season and a poor start to 2021 sealed Orgeron's fate. LSU's non-competitive loss to Kentucky on Oct. 9 signaled that Orgeron's time would soon be ending. Despite Saturday's win over Florida, LSU decided to move on with Orgeron still set to coach out the season.
The Louisiana native considered LSU a dream job, but many linked the 2019 title more to Heisman trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow and elite young playcaller Joe Brady. LSU is only 9-8 since that duo left following their championship season.
One of college football's premier coaching jobs is now open. Although drama seems to follow LSU at every turn, the last three coaches there -- Nick Saban, Les Miles and Orgeron -- won national titles. Louisiana is an elite recruiting ground, and facilities and fan support remain strong. Athletic director Scott Woodward is expected to lead a bold search. Woodward hired Chris Petersen at Washington and brought Jimbo Fisher from Florida State to Texas A&M.
Although two Group of 5 coaches will appear below, Woodward is likely to swing big and target major names with Power 5 head-coaching experience.
Here's a look at potential candidates for the LSU job:
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher: Woodward already landed Fisher once and could go back into the deep waters for another seismic SEC hire. Fisher's affinity for LSU -- where he won a national title as a Nick Saban assistant -- and Baton Rouge is no secret. Fisher won a championship at Florida State and is the type of elite offensive mind and quarterbacks coach LSU has long desired. But would he leave a great situation at Texas A&M, which has given him everything that he wants? The Aggies recorded a top-five finish last year and should be back in the CFP mix soon. His massive contract at A&M does not include a penalty to leave. It's certainly worth a try for Woodward.
Oregon coach Mario Cristobal: Cristobal could provide LSU some of Orgeron's best qualities while adding a steadier demeanor as the program CEO. Promoted to succeed Willie Taggart at Oregon, he had restored the program to the top of the Pac-12, winning consecutive titles. Cristobal is one of the nation's most tireless recruiters and could compete with Alabama and others in the SEC. He worked under Saban at Alabama and might crave a return to that competitive environment. Cristobal also has a $9 million buyout if he leaves Oregon before mid-January, and is expected to return his best team in 2022.
Penn State coach James Franklin: Franklin's name has surfaced more for the current coaching vacancy at USC, but he also might be an intriguing option for Woodward. He owns a Big Ten title and three top-10 finishes at Penn State and has another strong squad this year. Franklin had an incredible run at Vanderbilt and understands the recruiting demands in the SEC. He ultimately may want to stay at Penn State, which continues to increase its investment in the program. But Penn State also might have a ceiling that simply isn't present at LSU.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops: Although Stoops has not won championships as a head coach, his work at one of the SEC's more challenging jobs is respected throughout the league. Stoops is a proven recruiter and talent developer with a strong defensive mindset. There may be some concerns about hiring a defensive-oriented coach again, but Stoops has created the type of consistency that LSU wants after the last few years. He led Kentucky to its first 6-0 start since 1950 before Saturday's loss at Georgia.
Michigan State coach Mel Tucker: Several industry sources mentioned Tucker as an LSU candidate after the Orgeron news broke Sunday. Tucker is in only his third year as an FBS head coach, and left Colorado after only one season for the MSU job. After going 2-5 in 2020, Tucker flipped the Spartans' roster through the transfer portal this summer and has the team at 7-0 and ranked No. 9. Tucker also is a top-level recruiter who, in addition to extensive coordinator experience in the NFL, has worked at LSU and other big-time college programs such as Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia. He would fit right into the SEC.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin: The hire would be endlessly entertaining, especially given Kiffin's connection to Orgeron. (The two worked together at both USC and Tennessee.) Kiffin certainly would upgrade the quarterback play and overall offense at LSU, which remains one of the program's top priorities. He has engineered significant improvement at Ole Miss in Year 2 and welcomes the SEC pressure cooker in recruiting. Kiffin might be viewed too similarly to Orgeron and lacks a championship pedigree as a head coach. But he would be a fascinating choice.
Baylor coach Dave Aranda: The "other" playcaller on LSU's national title team is finding himself as a head coach in his second season at Baylor. After a rough 2020, Aranda has the Bears at 6-1 and ranked No. 20. He's the polar opposite of Orgeron but knows the program as a successful defensive coordinator under Miles and Orgeron. Aranda's more reserved personality might not be the best fit at LSU, but he's a down-the-list option.
Louisiana coach Billy Napier: He's the only Group of 5 candidate worth including on a list like this, a testament to what he has done at ULL. The 42-year-old is 33-12 with two 10-win seasons. He had been in the mix for other SEC jobs but elected to stay put. Napier worked at Alabama and Clemson as an assistant and knows the state of Louisiana as well as or better than anyone else on this list. But he wouldn't be a typical Woodward hire.
Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell: Like Franklin, Fickell might be a stronger candidate at USC, as current Trojans athletic director Mike Bohn hired him at Cincinnati. But he also has coached at the sport's highest level at Ohio State and might desire a similar situation at LSU. Fickell has elevated Cincinnati to historic levels, as the Bearcats are 37-6 since the start of the 2018 season. He's an excellent recruiter and talent developer. His strong Midwest ties might be a stumbling block for both sides, though.
Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady: The man some LSU fans most credit for the national title would be an interesting option to replace Orgeron. Brady came to Baton Rouge as an unknown young assistant, but he revolutionized an underachieving passing game with Burrow. He seems much likelier to remain in the NFL, where he's on a head-coaching track. But his LSU connection is undeniable.