$72 Million Coach Climbs To The Top of LSU Football's Favorites To Be Next Head Coach

In a move that sent shockwaves across the college football scene, the LSU Tigers parted ways with Brian Kelly on Oct. 26 to jumpstart a chaotic stretch in Baton Rouge.

Following the news of Kelly's departure, the LSU administration made the move to relieve athletics director Scott Woodward of his duties with the program hitting the reset button ahead of a critical offseason.

Now, with Woodward out of the picture, it's new athletics director Verge Ausberry spearheading the coaching search alongside his committee.

Scott Ballard, Chairman of the Board
John Carmouche, Chairman of Athletics
Ben Bordelon, Ex-LSU football player and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards
E.J. Kleeper, CEO of Our Lady of the Lake
Wade Rousse, LSU President [announced on Nov. 4]

The LSU Tigers have been in headlines since news broke that Kelly would be fired midway through the season with potential candidates being thrown in the mix left and right.

Among the list of top targets for the LSU Tigers is Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin as the Bayou Bengals and Florida Gators enter a two-team race to sway him out of Oxford.

Despite the outside noise, Kiffin is remaining focused on leading his Rebels squad to the College Football Playoff amid a 9-1 start in 2025 for the Magnolia State program.

“I don’t know. I’m not that far down the road,” Kiffin said on Monday of his future. “I said it last week and you guys think I was joking, or it was before South Carolina. Everybody wants to talk about other jobs and everything and I think you are two or three weeks away from coaching for your own job.

"So, you better make sure you’re doing really well where you are. Because as we’ve seen out there, one (loss) might put you out of the top-10. Now two might put you out of the Top 25 and three might get you fired.

"So, I ain’t figured all that out. I’m trying to keep our winning streak, get to 8-0 at home.”

Ole Miss Rebels Football. — Oct 25, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

But the betting odds are fluctuating as Kiffin mulls over his future where he comes in as a top candidate for both job openings at LSU and Florida.

Along with betting odds via BetOnline, Kalshi has labeled Kiffin as the betting favorite for the LSU Tigers.

What is Kalshi? Kalshi is a regulated exchange and prediction market where you can trade on the outcome of real-world events - Buy and sell Event Contracts.

According to Kalshi, the favorites for the LSU Tigers job are Lane Kiffin, Jon Sumrall [Tulane] and Nick Saban as the market remains fluid.

The Kalshi Prediction Machine:

Lane Kiffin: 35 percent
Jon Sumrall: 15 percent
Nick Saban: 15 percent

LSU Tigers Next Head Coach Odds [BetOnline]:

1. Nick Saban: +200
2. Lane Kiffin: +375
3. Joe Brady: +400
4. Clark Lea: +500
5. Dan Lanning: +700

As the rumor mill swirls, it's clear Kiffin is the top target among potential candidates for the LSU Tigers gig, but swaying him out of Oxford remains the key piece to the program's coaching search.

More LSU News:

Elite LSU Football Commit Reaffirms Pledge Despite Ohio State, Ole Miss Pushing

Five Players LSU Football Must Keep After Brian Kelly's Firing, Including DJ Pickett

ESPN Insider Labels Lane Kiffin 'Top Target' for LSU Football, Florida Gators

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU Tigers.