LSU shocked the college football world Sunday night when the school fired head coach Brian Kelly following an embarrassing 49-25 loss to No. 3 Texas A&M just 24 hours prior.
The move itself wasn’t surprising because it happened but in that the school actually pulled the trigger on finally firing Kelly after calls had been mounting for weeks from fans to finally get rid of him.
The school wanted Kelly gone bad enough to pay his outrageous $54 million buyout, and if it swings for the fences with its next head coach like many are predicting, LSU could be spending close to $100 million on two coaches next season.
Because it’s such a high-profile job, LSU is expected to be calling about all of the big coaching names — former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Louisville’s Jeff Brohm, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, Texas A&M’s Mike Elko — and it’s likely the university shoots for the moon.
One coach who also may hear from the university (though he’s probably the least likely to say yes) is Oregon’s Dan Lanning, who Sports Illustrated’s Bryan Fischer believes should at least get a call even if the answer is no.
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“If Woodward is allowed to make the next hire, there’s little question he will target a big name,” Fischer wrote. “That’s Lanning right now, though there are questions over if he would leave Eugene, Ore., even for a job like LSU.
“His buyout to exit, both with the school and beyond, is so massive that even others with deep pockets have been rebuffed. If the Tigers truly want to land a big fish, the former SEC assistant would be the easy answer.”
In his three-plus seasons with Oregon, Lanning has emerged as one of the top coaches in the country. He’s led the Ducks to a 42-7 record (.857 win percentage) with two bowl wins and a College Football Playoff appearance.
The 39-year-old recently signed a six-year contract extension worth nearly $11 million per season that runs through 2030. If another school hires Lanning away from Oregon, it will be on the hook to pay his $20 million buyout, according to USA Today.
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