LSU Football, Florida Gators, Penn State Have This Statistic In Common Amid Firings

The college football coaching carousel is in full swing this fall with the LSU Tigers joining the party in late October after parting ways with head coach Brian Kelly amid a 5-3 start.

Across nearly four seasons in Baton Rouge, Kelly compiled a 34-14 record with the Bayou Bengals with the program unable to earn an SEC Championship or punch a ticket to the College Football Playoff.

Along with the Tigers, the list has grown to nearly a handful of SEC schools in search of new head coaches with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Auburn Tigers, and Florida Gators also looking for decision-makers.

It's a coaching carousel that is set to change the trajectory of college football moving forward with the Penn State Nittany Lions also in on the action.

Now, with five coveted jobs available, what do four of the programs have in common? Strength of schedule.

Five of the Top-10 schools in strength of schedule have fired their head coach this season with the LSU Tigers sitting at No. 3.

1. Florida (Billy Napier)
3. LSU (Brian Kelly)
5. Auburn (Hugh Freeze)
7. Arkansas (Sam Pittman)
10. Penn State (James Franklin)

All five programs relieved their head coaches of duties prior to Week 11 amid difficult stretches with LSU making the move on Oct. 26 following a humiliating 49-25 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies.

A wild stat I came across tonight while looking at CFP/Strength of Schedule metrics. 5 of the top 10 in SOS have fired their head coach this season.

1. Florida (Billy Napier)
3. LSU (Brian Kelly)
5. Auburn (Hugh Freeze)
7. Arkansas (Sam Pittman)
10. Penn State (James Franklin) https://t.co/ljRnzrhUFf
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) November 12, 2025

“This is an extremely disappointing night,” Kelly said on Saturday. “Any fan base would be upset. The responsibility falls on me. LSU has a proud tradition and a proud team. They prepared their tails off and expected to win.

"It showed in the first half and not in the second. My focus has to be inside-out, not outside-in. The noise is deserved, but I have to fix what’s inside our program so this doesn’t happen again.”

Now, the LSU Tigers are navigating a coaching search in Baton Rouge with 10 betting favorites emerging, via BetOnline.

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
6. James Franklin: +900
7. Jon Sumrall: +1000
8. Brent Key: +1400
9. Jimbo Fisher: +1800
10. Kenny Dillingham: +2000

The LSU Tigers will return to action on Saturday for a Week 12 matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks in an SEC rivalry game. Kickoff is set for 11:45 a.m. CT.

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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