LSU coach emerges as favorite to be named HC at College Football Playoff contender

College football rumors are swirling about a potential playoff team plucking a top LSU assistant to be the program's next head coach. LSU is undergoing a major coaching staff change amid Lane Kiffin's departure from Ole Miss to Baton Rouge.

With Jon Sumrall taking the Florida job, Tulane is now in search of the program's next head coach. Sumrall plans to coach Tulane until the Green Wave's season ends and a win in the AAC title matchup could punch the team's ticket to the College Football Playoff.

NEW: LSU's Lane Kiffin is working to retain defensive coordinator Blake Baker, @PeteNakos reports.

But sources have told On3 that Baker has emerged as a top name for the Tulane head coaching job👀

Intel: https://t.co/3GO8TJP90N pic.twitter.com/lgZv4NUWi6
— On3 (@On3sports) December 4, 2025

Meanwhile, LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker has emerged as a heavy favorite to be Tulane's next coach. Baker has an 85% chance to be named the Tulane coach in the latest betting odds, per Kalshi.

Southern Miss' Charles Huff is a distant second at 3%. Let's dive into the latest college football rumors.

Lane Kiffin is attempting to keep LSU DC Blake Baker as Tulane looms

Fox 8 New Orleans reported that "a deal is near" between Baker and Tulane. On3's Pete Nakos noted that Kiffin is also attempting to retain Baker amid Tulane's push to land the coveted coordinator.

"Sources tell On3 that Kiffin continues to work to retain defensive coordinator Blake Baker," On3's Pete Nakos wrote on Dec. 4.

"But sources have told On3 that Baker has emerged as a top name for the Tulane head coaching job. He could have to decide between the Green Wave and returning to LSU."

LSU DC Blake Baker is a heavy favorite to be named the next Tulane coach

Kiffin faces an uphill battle to retain Baker given the appeal of Tulane. The Green Wave have emerged as one of the top Group of Six programs with a clear path to making the College Football Playoff each season.

Tulane HC Jon Sumrall on how he hopes fans remember him when he leaves for UF:

"That I gave everything I had."

"The city of New Orleans, Tulane, our players, I just want them to know how much we love them."

Tulane hosts UNT Friday at 7 on @WGNOtv

Full: https://t.co/80BBxld48K pic.twitter.com/YFH0ZHqhYX
— Jon Sokoloff (@JonSokoloff) December 3, 2025

"LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker, 43, is a former Tulane linebacker and definitely a person of interest in the search, I hear," The Athletic's Bruce Feldman detailed on Nov. 30. "Baker, who had coached on the LSU staff in 2021, returned to Baton Rouge as D-coordinator last year and sparked significant improvement in a then-woeful unit.

"Before that, he’d done an outstanding job as Missouri’s DC. New LSU coach Lane Kiffin wants to retain Baker, but a return to his alma mater to get his head coaching career going figures to be tough to turn down if Tulane brass is ready to give him the keys."

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