Greg McElroy Predicts Lane Kiffin's Next Move, LSU Football 'Plan B' If Needed

The LSU Tigers remain in headlines this fall with the program in Baton Rouge navigating a coaching search following the firing of Brian Kelly in late October.

Across nearly four season in the Bayou State, Kelly compiled a 34-14 record with the Tigers with the administration relieving him of his duties following Week 9 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies.

Now, athletics director Verge Ausberry and Co. are spearheading a search for the next head coach with Ole Miss Rebels shot-caller Lane Kiffin atop the list.

LSU and Florida have emerged as the pair of schools to watch as Kiffin mulls over his future in Oxford, but the Tigers have quickly become a program of interest.

ESPN's Greg McElroy has now weighed in on the "Kiffin Sweepstakes" with a prediction and backup plan for the LSU Tigers if the program misses in their No. 1 target.

LSU Tigers Football. — Nov 15, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin embraces linebacker Suntarine Perkins (4) during the second half against the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

McElroy's Take on Kiffin:

“I think it is the best job in college football that is currently open,” McElroy said on Always College Football. “When you look at the candidates, it’s pretty obvious. It comes down to two. Lane Kiffin is number one.

"(He’s) going to be the number one candidate for a couple of different places, and I think Lane Kiffin is very interesting in this entire conversation, because Lane Kiffin is an elite coach, especially in the modern era. There’s no denying what he’s been able to create, not even just at Ole Miss, but even in the time that he was at FAU prior to that he won a lot of games.

“And I think with where the sport has gone, and kind of becoming a blend of the NFL and a blend of college football, there’s a little gray area between pro ball and amateur ball that we’ve always known about, right?

"There’s a little gray area now, and I feel like Lane Kiffin has found the right formula to having great success in the modern era by utilization of the portal being very attractive for skill position players like wide receivers and quarterbacks.”

The Backup Plan:

“I think all three are very much on the table right now,” McElroy said. There have been points in this process in which I thought for sure he was taking the Florida job. There have been points in this process in which I thought for sure he was going to stay at Ole Miss.

"I really believe that. I think he really has a great appreciation for what Ole Miss can provide him, because legacy, that’s the big thing that he can have at Ole Miss, is legacy …

"(But) I think Lane Kiffin is going to be the head coach of the LSU Tigers here at some point in the very near future … That will hurt for Ole Miss. For sure their program is in a far better position today to hire the next guy than they were prior to Lane Kiffin’s arrival. So I think Lane Kiffin is going to end up at all at LSU.

“If he doesn’t, I fully expect it to be Eli Drinkwitz at Missouri, who has done a really good job in creating offense. They run the football at Missouri.

"That’s what LSU has done traditionally very well, is run the football, be good along the line of scrimmage, and then if you look to it, what Eli has done over the last six years, their defense has been excellent at times throughout the last few years, including this year, where they’re one of the best defenses in the country.”

More LSU News:

Lane Kiffin's Betting Odds for LSU Football, Florida Gators Receives Major Update

ESPN FPI Reveals Prediction for LSU Football vs. Oklahoma Sooners in Week 14 Matchup

No. 1 Wide Receiver in Louisiana, LSU Football Commit Remains Locked in With Tigers

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