It has been a tough fall from grace for Les Miles and the LSU Tigers this season as they have gone from SEC favorite and national title contender to an afterthought at both levels…in less than a month.
It started with a big showdown against Alabama that turned out to be a mismatch. Running back Leonard Fournette came in as the clear-cut Heisman frontrunner and like his team, left battered and bruised after a one-sided 30-16 loss. While that could be forgiven, a flat effort at home against Arkansas the following week could not. The Tigers hit rock bottom with a third straight loss this past weekend, this time a lopsided 38-17 result at Ole Miss.
It’s been 11 years for Les Miles at LSU and the donors are pushing for a change. They’re just tired of getting teased while watching Alabama contend for hardware. Now that it looks like he’s on the outs, here are four coaches that could be next in line in the Bayou:
Jimbo Fisher
The same reports that have indicated Miles’ tenure with LSU coming to an end soon have the Florida State head coach pegged as the man that has been targeted to replace him. According to those close to the decision process, donors are high on the idea that Fisher will be the next head coach at LSU. Fisher has a history with the program as a former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for the Tigers and LSU appears set to make a strong push for him as their next head coach. The issue is that there are so many coaching job openings and Fisher is going to have his pick of the litter…and that’s if he even leaves Florida State.
Dabo Swinney
Swinney has emerged as the hottest coaching candidate in the country following Clemson’s 11-0 start. The Tigers are the No. 1 team in the nation according to the College Football Playoff rankings and it should be no surprise that Swinney has been talked about as a target for so many big programs. He’s done a phenomenal job at Clemson as they’ve gone from being a mediocre ACC program to a perennial BCS/CFP contender. Fisher is LSU’s top target right now but he might not leave. That would make Swinney as the most sought after man.
Gary Patterson
There will be a lot of talk about what could have been for TCU both in the Big 12 and on the national stage if it wasn’t for injuries really taking their toll this season. While those questions will remain, there is no question about what the Horned Frogs have been able to accomplish over the past couple of seasons and who that success can be attributed to: Coach Patterson. The job that he has done with that program is incredible as TCU is probably the best school in Texas right now. As a result, don’t be surprised if a school with a big budget wants to see what Patterson can do. With more money, a better stadium and better facilities to work with, Patterson could turn a program like South Carolina, USC or LSU into a primetime playoff contender.
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Jon Gruden
It’s still hard to imagine Gruden leaving his job with ESPN in order to take a coaching position at the college football level but the rumor just won’t go away. Where there’s smoke, there tends to be fire. If he has the desire to coach again then perhaps LSU could convince him to take over for Miles. Gruden has reportedly turned down at least a handful of NFL head coaching jobs in order to maintain his position as an NFL analyst at ESPN, so it’s hard to imagine him taking a shot at the college ranks right now. Or maybe that logic is backwards as Gruden might in fact go for a top-notch college program where the kids are more likely to heed his message.
