Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and nine others are seen as early betting favorites to be the next head coach of the LSU football program.
Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers began the 2025 season with expectations to be in the college football playoffs and hopes of reaching the National Championship game. And after the first four weeks of the season, it seemed like they were headed toward achieving those goals. Then they lost three of their last four, including a 49-25 drubbing at the hands of Texas A&M this weekend.
Kelly was already feeling the pressure in year four at LSU. Well, their latest defeat was too much for administrators to take, and despite a $53 million buyout, the university fired Kelly on Sunday night. The expensive decision now puts one of the most coveted opportunities in the sport up for grabs.
There have already been a boatload of names linked to the job. However, Bookies.com has put forth 10 that will likely be considered for the position after the season, and given each candidate odds of winning the race to be the next Tigers football coach. You can find them all below.
- Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss +375
- Jeff Brohm, Louisville +550
- Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State +650
- James Franklin +750
- Jon Sumrall, Tulane +850
- Clark Lea, Vanderbilt +900
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson +1000
- Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri +1150
- Alex Golesh, South Florida +1200
- Matt Campbell, Iowa State +1500
Which coach has the best chance of being the next leader of LSU football?
There will be a bunch of speculation the rest of the season about Kiffin taking his talents to LSU. The veteran coach has the Rebels ranked in the top 10 and looking like a dark horse contender to reach the National Championship in January. There has always been a perception that if he continues to win at Ole Miss, he would move on to a bigger program like LSU. However, a case can be made that staying at Ole Miss would be a better decision for him. Plus, his departure comes with a big buyout.
James Franklin was recently fired by Penn State and is, arguably, the best coach on the market. However, considering his resume of coming up short often in big games, that is sure to hurt his chances for the LSU job. Brohm and Dillingham are both strong coaches on the rise, deserving of a big-time opportunity, and they wouldn’t come with a huge buyout cost.
However, one other interesting name not on Bookies.com’s list that has been thrown around over the last 24 hours is Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. He is a Kelly disciple, but many college football experts feel he is a better fit for LSU’s culture and has done impressive things despite ND’s recruiting limitations.
