Coveted $15 Million Coach Emerges as New Potential Candidate for LSU Football Job

The LSU Tigers remain tied to Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin, other candidates remain on the docket moving forward.

Sep 20, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (left) and Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall (right) embrace after the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The LSU Tigers coaching search has taken center stage this week with the program circling Ole Miss shot-caller Lane Kiffin as the top target.

No. 5 Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC) has stolen the spotlight as a College Football Playoff contender in 2025, but the headlines surround Kiffin's future in Oxford.

Despite the Rebels head coach labeled the No. 1 target on the board for the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators, there are other notable names on the market across this year's coaching carousel.

A head coach of intrigue to multiple SEC programs is Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall.

The fast-rising decision-maker has emerged as the top target for the Auburn Tigers, but as he navigates a College Football Playoff push of his own with the Green Wave, he's remained mum on opportunities elsewhere.

Courtesy of LSU Football.

"If my ultimate goal is just to be a Power Four head coach, I wouldn't be at Tulane. I've had those opportunities," Sumrall said recently. "If my ultimate goal was just to make the biggest paycheck, I wouldn't be at Tulane. Other people have offered me more money than I make here. I love where I'm at. I love what I do. 

"I love what I do with ... I told my team, 25 years from now, can I tell you I'm gonna be sitting here coaching? I don't know that, but I wouldn't be mad about it. I'm cool. Like, I wouldn't be pissed about that. It'd be cool, I love New Orleans.

"I love everything about my job.' I'm so freaking micro-focused on going 1-0 every week that, all that speculation, I don't pay attention to it. When people bring it up to me, I'm like, 'Get away from me. Don't even talk.' Like, I ain't got no time for it."

But Sumrall remains a name to watch in the LSU Tigers coaching search.

Yes, Kiffin is the definitive, clearcut favorite for the job with officials in Baton Rouge rolling out the red carpet already after sending a private jet to Oxford to bring his family to town as they toured the city.

But the LSU administration won't put all their eggs in one basket. There will be other candidates to keep tabs on with Missouri Tigers' Eli Drinkwitz joining Sumrall as names to monitor.

Sep 20, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall looks on during the second quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

“Two of the names to consider right now appear to be Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and Tulane coach Jon Sumrall,” The Baton Rouge Advocate wrote.

According to Kalshi, Sumrall has the third-best chance to become the next head coach behind Kiffin and Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

The Tulane Green Wave came in as the No. 12 seed in the latest College Football Playoff bracket with the team looking to make the cut as the 2025 season winds down.

For the LSU Tigers, the program is intensifying its pursuit of candidates with Kiffin as the top target, but Sumrall remains one to monitor as things ramp up.

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