Who should LSU hire, who will they hire? CBS analyst weighs in
The coaching carousel got off to an early start with multiple coaches being relieved of their duties before we even hit Nov. 1.
It started with the USC Trojans firing Clay Helton just two games into the season following an embarrassing loss to Stanford. Helton already found a new job as he was hired by Georgia Southern for the 2022 campaign. Southern fired their head coach Chad Lunsford and have played four games under interim head coach Kevin Whitley.
The LSU Tigers joined the carousel following the victory over the Florida Gators on Oct. 17. The timing was odd considering they just beat their cross-divisional rivals but the conversations started after Kentucky blew the doors off the Tigers in Lexington a week prior.
Plenty of names have been thrown about, we even came up with our own list of potential candidates. With names such as Jimbo Fisher, Mel Tucker, James Franklin, and Billy Napier being thrown about, who should they hire? CBS college football analyst Dennis Dodd weighed in.
Who should be the guy?
Who should LSU hire?
Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
What Dodd Says…
It’s simple math for a coach who has yet to complete a second season in the big chair: Michigan State was a better job than Colorado, and LSU is a better job than Michigan State. In fact, LSU is one of the best in the country. Tucker might not be the home run hire some expect from athletic director Scott Woodward, but think of Tucker as a lot like Steve Sarkisian last year when he was hired by Texas: He’s the best name left on the board that LSU can get. (The Tigers would obviously be hoping for a better starting record than 4-5, of course.)
Not quite sure I agree with the “best name left on the board that LSU can get” part of this statement. Everything is really still in play for the Tigers and athletic director Scott Woodward. Of the two hires made in Helton to Georgia Southern and Texas Tech going with Joey McGuire, neither were an option for the Bayou Bengals.
But who will be the guy?
Who will LSU hire?
Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
What Dodd Says…
Sure, James Franklin is a favorite, but he probably won’t pass muster as Penn State’s season is trending toward 7-5. Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell is not a fit considering his Ohio-based background. That leaves Tucker, an SEC veteran who coached defensive backs for Nick Saban for one year in 2000. Word on the street is that Tucker will accept an interview if contacted. Tucker is a studious, fast-rising talent who could quickly get LSU back on top.
If there is a coach being considered for the job that knows the landscape, it is Mel Tucker. Just down the road, there is Billy Napier and you could make a case for him. If Tucker is the guy pegged to take over LSU, fans will quickly learn to love his style. Especially when they immediately improve over the next year plus. The roster is full of talented players, they just need to be put in a position to succeed. While the sample size is small, he feels like the guy who can do that.
