Jimbo Fisher? Or Is LSU Looking To Make History With Hire?
LSU may be looking beyond Jimbo Fisher when it comes to making a splash hire to replace Ed Orgeron. Athletic director Scott Woodward could be targeting a minority hire, according to a source with knowledge of the program’s thinking.
Several prominent candidates would fit that bill, including Michigan State coach Mel Tucker, Baylor coach Dave Aranda, Penn State coach James Franklin and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
LSU has never employed an African-American or person of color as head football coach.
Tucker owns deep ties to the SEC and is known as an excellent recruiter. His Spartans are a surprising 7-0 and ranked No. 9 in the latest AP poll.
Aranda, who is Hispanic, was the defensive coordinator on LSU’s 2019 national championship team before heading to Waco. The No. 20 Bears are 6-1 and in the thick of the Big 12 title race.
Franklin has already performed one SEC miracle by winning at Vanderbilt and has rebuilt Penn State into a Big Ten power. He’s also rumored to be high on USC’s wish list.
Bieniemy has long been considered a top candidate for a head coaching position in the NFL. The former Heisman finalist and national champion at Colorado was an assistant in the college ranks for five years before going to the NFL in 2006.
Fisher is likely among Woodward’s top candidates. The two worked together at LSU in the early 2000s, and Woodward hired Fisher at Texas A&M in 2018. Their relationship is strong and that makes this pairing logical.
But there are no indications Fisher would leave College Station after just four seasons, considering the state of the program and his recent contract extension. The Aggies are 2-1 against LSU since Fisher’s arrival.
The cultural significance of a minority coach at LSU would not go unnoticed. The Tigers are one of the SEC and college football’s premier programs, and a source of pride throughout the state of Louisiana.
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