LSU Football Head Coaching Search Has Dark Horse Candidate Cruising Up The List

The LSU Tigers remain in headlines this fall, dark horse candidate to keep tabs on across the coaching search.

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

The LSU Tigers remain the talk of the town following the firing of Brian Kelly amid a 5-3 start to the 2025 season in Baton Rouge.

Kelly departs the Bayou State after compiling a 34-14 overall record during his time with the program while the Tigers were unable to get over the hump and make the College Football Playoff.

Now, the rumor mill is swirling with multiple potential candidates being thrown in the mix over the last eight days.

From Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin to Alabama's Nick Saban, there has been speculation on a myriad of candidates that could be involved in LSU's head coaching vacancy.

BetOnline revealed the updated betting odds on Monday with Kiffin cruised up the list alongside Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Courtesy of LSU Football.

The Betting Lines [via BetOnline]:

1. Joe Brady (+300)
2. Lane Kiffin (+275)
3. Nick Saban (+400)
4. Clark Lea (+500)
5. Jon Sumrall (+700)
6. James Franklin (+700)
7. Dan Lanning (+700)
8. Eli Drinkwitz (+1400)
9. Brent Key (+1400)
10. Jimbo Fisher (+1800)

A dark horse candidate not mentioned among the Top-10 candidates, according to Vegas: Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham.

"Dillingham is the prototype of what it is to be a head coach in the modern era. He is passionate about building bonds and relating to his players, he understands what it takes to win and he’s done well on the field in turning around Arizona State," Sports Illustrated wrote.

"He grew up in the Phoenix area and went to school at ASU, though would recognize that you get a shot at a job like LSU only once."

Sep 6, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

For Dillingham, he's silenced the buzz this fall with his name coming up in coaching searches surrounding the LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, and Penn State Nittany Lions, among others.

“I find it nothing, to be honest. It’s useless,” Dillingham said last week of whether he took mentions as flattery or distractions. “I told our guys today: We live in a reality show.

“If you get lost in people making you the reality show, this thing is going to be miserable for you as a player because it’s not all real. What’s real is what’s in our building. I am so singularly focused on what is in our building.”

Kenny Dillingham is getting named as a potential candidate for college football job openings at LSU, Penn State and Florida.

What'd he tell his Arizona State players about all that noise?

"I am so singularly focused on what is in our building. Nothing is real out there," he… pic.twitter.com/gdYhJ2PPCm

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) October 27, 2025

As the LSU Tigers' coaching search heats up, the rumor mill will continue swirling as potential candidates enter the mix left and right.

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

Join the Community:

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