Pete Thamel names major college football head coach that will be LSU’s No. 1 target

On a Monday afternoon segment of SportsCenter, ESPN anchor Matt Barrie welcomed trusted college football reporter Pete Thamel onto the telecast to discuss his insider view on the recently-opened LSU football job.

Of course, Tiger coach Brian Kelly was fired midway through his fourth season with the program as the 2025 season torpedoed toward another disappointing finish, by LSU standards, on the heels of a home loss to Texas A&M by three touchdowns.

"You can argue, Pete, that this is might be the best in the lot right now," Barrie commented on the LSU job, before asking: "So, who might LSU target for this opening?"

"Well, it's going to be the Lane Kiffin show from here on in until a decision is made," Thamel answered firmly. "He's a target at LSU, he's a target at Florida, and the competition between those two athletic departments for Lane Kiffin is going to be one of the things that hangs over the rest of this season."

Kiffin appears to be a no-brainer call for Florida and LSU. The matter is just whether Lane Kiffin wants to leave Ole Miss, plus whether he can work out the transition with his schedule, which could be tough.

Kiffin's schedule could make move tricky

Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

As Pete Thamel thoughtfully lays out below, the forgotten aspect of the entire Lane Kiffin coaching sweepstakes is Ole Miss' success. If the Rebels cash in on their CFP aspirations, how can a program juggle the timelines of waiting him out while trying to retain players and build a new team.

"The regular season in college football ends in late November; the Playoff starts December 19," Thamel notes. "It is possible, but if you are a Playoff coach and you are going to take a job, it is going to be a high-wire act to do that, especially if you win games in the Playoff."

At this point in the year, with just one loss at Georgia, Ole Miss looks very likely to make the postseason, and perhaps, advance a few rounds.

"How that unfolds will be a fascinating facet of these playoffs for coaches like Lane Kiffin," Thamel added. "The timing does not line up for an easy transition."

Sure, teams like LSU and Florida could work with Kiffin after an early exit, but if he's playing in a Final Four or championship game, then it's almost impossible to logistically pull off his hire that late in January.