The LSU search for Ed Orgeron's replacement is in Day 50, and Orgeron himself is two days removed from coaching his last game at LSU – a wild, comeback-win against Texas A&M – and Jimbo Fisher, whom earlier in the process was the apple of the Tigers' eyes.
Where does LSU now turn? Team FootballScoop, minus the ever-busy Doug Samuels, breaks down the situation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, home of the LSU Tigers and home base for FootballScoop.
The Tigers are pursuing Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly. Heady stuff happens when you're the winningest all-time coach at one of college football's truly iconic programs.
Multiple LSU and Notre Dame sources confirmed the Tigers' interest in Kelly to FootballScoop.
It's why, sources have confirmed on Monday, that University of Southern Cal first sought in recent weeks to speak with Kelly about the Trojans' vacancy. Then, USC snatched Lincoln Riley away from LSU as the Tigers had continued their pursuit of the Oklahoma-turned-USC skipper.
Multiple Notre Dame sources, as well as sources around college football and also at LSU, tell us “there's absolutely smoke” with LSU's pursuit of Kelly.
But Kelly “has never coached South of the Mason-Dixon Line,” as one college insider put it to FootballScoop. The field size is the same all over, and Kelly's coaching skill will travel.
Is Kelly likely to jettison Notre Dame, after a dozen years and potentially on the cusp of a third College Football Playoff appearance in four seasons? It seems far from the case.
Still, college football sources tell FootballScoop that Kelly's total compensation package at Notre Dame is approximately $7 million, a little north of that mark, on an annual basis. In other words, with two of the sport's other premiere programs – with national championships far more recently than Notre Dame's 1988 title – calling on Kelly, he's a coach in demand who's getting ready to likely find a new market price for his services.
If Kelly doesn't come to the table, does Scott Woodward make another run at Jimbo Fisher?
LSU is believed to have vetted Matt Rhule, and has a list of others including Kentucky's Mark Stoops, Iowa State's Matt Campbell and Ole Miss's Lane Kiffin.
Timing, without harping too much, remains a key element. The NCAA Transfer Portal is seeing a flood of new entrants today after the Football Bowls Subdivision completed its regular season over the weekend, and the NCAA's early signing period opens Dec. 15 – a mere 16 days from today.
As you will hear on the pod, Scott has full confidence LSU is going to land an excellent coach; but believes there will be rioting by the LSU faithful is Woodward opts for Bill O'Brien.
Quite a podcast here, friends.
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