'Pressure Them to Flip Down $15M': The 4 Calls LSU Will Make For Its Subsequent Head Coach

[ad_1] One other week, one other high-profile faculty soccer head teaching job has opened up. The most recent opening, although, is likely one of the high jobs within the sport.

LSU fired head coach Brian Kelly on Sunday evening, ending his tenure within the midst of his fourth season following the Tigers' blowout loss to Texas A&M to drop to 5-3 on the season. Whereas Kelly wasn't in a position to lead LSU to the Faculty Soccer Playoff in any of his 4 seasons in Baton Rouge, Joel Klatt believes that the job is likely one of the three greatest within the sport.

"That is one of the best job accessible. Interval. In reality, I'd put LSU within the high three jobs in all of faculty soccer. I firmly consider it’s within the high three, however I don’t suppose you possibly can argue it’s not within the high 5," Klatt mentioned on the newest episode of his podcast, "The Joel Klatt Present." "I believe you might argue 30% of the highest 10 jobs are open. However LSU is the cream of the crop. I believe Texas and Ohio State are higher jobs than LSU, however not by a lot."

The opposite two jobs that Klatt argued could possibly be extra high-profile than the LSU gig are Alabama and Georgia. Nonetheless, Klatt believes that LSU has a monetary benefit that these faculties do not have.

"LSU’s received plenty of assets, most likely deeper assets than everybody realizes," Klatt mentioned. "In all probability No. 1 or 2 in assets. So, cash gained’t be an element on this."

Who ought to LSU name to be their subsequent head coach? 🤔 LSU is about to pay a hefty sum to maneuver on from Kelly and tackle one other monetary hit to rent a brand new head coach. Kelly's estimated $54 million buyout is the second-largest in faculty soccer historical past, and that is earlier than considering the severance that should be paid to his teaching workers.

Whereas Kelly wasn’t in a position to lead LSU to a nationwide championship, this system’s current historical past exhibits that success is attainable. Every of the Tigers’ three head coaches earlier than Kelly — Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Ed Orgeron — gained a nationwide title throughout their respective tenures, proving that LSU has persistently been able to reaching the game’s highest stage.

So, Klatt believes that LSU will make 4 huge requires its subsequent head coach rent, and one of many 4 will find yourself accepting the job supply. This is Klatt's record of the 4 candidates for the LSU job.

Calls No. 1 & 2: Former Florida/Ohio State HC City Meyer, former LSU/Alabama head coach Nick Saban Yup, you learn that proper. Klatt thinks that LSU athletic director Scott Woodward's first two calls needs to be, and can be, to Meyer and Saban.

"There’s going to be two people who find themselves going to get calls. I believe LSU goes to pressure them to show down $15 million per 12 months. That’s City Meyer and Nick Saban," Klatt mentioned. "I believe you need to make that decision. If I’m the AD, I've to make that decision to each of these gents."

In fact, Meyer and Saban are each retired, however they’re additionally two of the best coaches the game has ever seen. They’re amongst simply 4 head coaches to win a number of nationwide championships for the reason that flip of the century — and the one two to take action at separate faculties.

Clearly, Saban additionally has a previous historical past with the LSU program. He was the Tigers' head coach for 5 seasons (2000-04), main them to a nationwide championship in 2003 and going 48-16 throughout his tenure. That preceded Saban's time at Alabama, the place he had the best run ever for a head coach within the sport by successful six nationwide championships in 17 seasons.

Nick Saban started a streak of three straight LSU coaches to win a nationwide championship with the Tigers' victory in 2003 season. (Picture by Brian Bahr/Getty Pictures)

Meyer would not have the ties to LSU that Saban has. Nonetheless, he is confirmed he could be extremely profitable within the SEC, successful two nationwide championships over his six seasons at Florida.

Even when it feels extremely unlikely both would soar again into teaching, it is fairly clear that going after both Saban and Meyer could be the 2 largest swings you might take for those who're LSU. And Klatt believes it is "no hurt, no foul" for LSU if each flip the job down.

"In the event that they each flip me down, nice, we’re going to have a prolonged and high quality dialogue about candidates they actually like throughout the nation and the coaches they’ve both labored with or coached towards that they like," Klatt mentioned. "That’s an inventory that might actually assist me if I’m the athletic director.

"Then, you go to the extra possible ones, though, who is aware of, perhaps a kind of guys would be the subsequent head coach at LSU."

Name No. 3: Oregon HC Dan Lanning If you cannot land top-of-the-line coaches within the historical past of the game, Klatt thinks LSU will go after one of many subsequent greatest issues: one of the best head coach underneath the age of 40.

"The subsequent name I believe that’s going to be made goes to be Dan Lanning," Klatt mentioned. "Dan Lanning clearly has a previous within the SEC, and he’s been profitable there as a coordinator of the nationwide champion Georgia group in 2021.

"Then, he goes to Oregon and he’s been very profitable in constructing them right into a perennial energy. Final season, they have been the No. 1 seed within the Faculty Soccer Playoff. He recruits properly out of the portal. He recruits properly out of highschool. He has nice power. Dan Lanning's a house run."

As Klatt mentioned, Lanning, 39, already has a profitable monitor file. Georgia's protection in 2021 was traditionally good en path to successful the nationwide championship, and he is shortly remodeled Oregon right into a perennial nationwide championship contender. He is gone 42-7 to date in his Oregon tenure, main the Geese to an undefeated season via the Huge Ten Championship Recreation final 12 months and has them out to a 7-1 begin this 12 months.

Dan Lanning led Oregon to a convention championship within the Geese' first season within the Huge Ten. (Picture by Dylan Buell/Getty Pictures)

But when LSU inquires about Lanning, this would not be his first dance with a high-profile head teaching opening. That is why Klatt is skeptical that Lanning can be Kelly's successor at LSU, even when it makes him a historic supply.

"Oregon will most likely need to match a $15 million per 12 months supply. I believe that’s the place LSU goes to need to be in the event that they’re speaking about City Meyer, Nick Saban or Dan Lanning," Klatt mentioned. "If Dan doesn’t go away, and I do know Dan actually likes it in Eugene. Simply a few years in the past, he turned down Alabama. He’s turned down this stage of job prior. His household likes it in Oregon and I believe he liked the autonomy in Oregon.

"He’s constructing one thing very particular and really properly may finish in a nationwide championship this 12 months. I believe they’ve received that caliber of group this 12 months with Dante Moore at quarterback and that protection."

On high of the potential for Lanning turning it down, Klatt's level that Oregon appears poised to make a deep playoff run creates one other potential drawback for LSU. If Oregon winds up enjoying within the CFP quarterfinal or later, LSU must wait till a minimum of January to presumably rent him as head coach, which might defeat the aim of firing Kelly months upfront of the early signing interval and the switch portal window.

Name No. 4: Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin Klatt believes that Kiffin could be the ultimate name LSU must make in its head teaching search, saying that he has some leverage coming into the carousel.

"That is why Lane Kiffin goes to be such a scorching commodity. Should you go searching proper now, I mentioned three of the highest 10 jobs in faculty soccer at the moment are open," Klatt mentioned. "I can’t bear in mind a cycle through which we’ve had this many high-profile jobs open, prepared, keen to spend cash and spend huge. But, I can’t bear in mind as skinny of a expertise pool within the teaching search. Lane and Dan Lanning are going to be on the high of all people’s record."

Following a disastrous finish to his tenure at USC, Kiffin has turned his profession round and has confirmed he can coach on the highest stage within the SEC. He is 51-19 over his six seasons at Ole Miss, successful 10-plus video games in three of the final 4 years and is off to a 7-1 begin this 12 months because it seems the Rebels are on monitor to make the CFP.

And if LSU is keen to pay $15 million per 12 months for its subsequent head coach, that might be a $6 million elevate from what Kiffin is making at Ole Miss ($9 million per 12 months), in keeping with USA Right this moment. That quantity would additionally make him the highest-paid head coach within the sport by almost $2 million per 12 months.

Will Lane Kiffin substitute Brian Kelly at LSU? If he does, it will probably include a hefty pay elevate. (Picture by Gus Stark/LSU/College Pictures by way of Getty Pictures}

If you mix the assets LSU has and Kiffin's success at Ole Miss, they is perhaps an ideal match for one another.

"What didn’t work with Brian Kelly at LSU wasn’t the truth that he wasn’t a very good soccer coach. It was the truth that he wasn’t a very good match at LSU," Klatt mentioned. "Candidly, all of us knew it his first week on the job when he gave us that pretend accent. We’ll by no means have the ability to unhear that. Each time I noticed him, that’s all I considered and I attempted to not. The man’s the all-time winningest coach at Notre Dame.

"You don’t make this rent to win the press convention. You must get a man that matches your program, fanbase and what you need to do at LSU. You possibly can go take an enormous swing, but when it’s the flawed swing, you’re going to be sitting again right here in three or 4 years doing the identical factor over once more."

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