Jordan Rodgers pitches Brian Hartline, Kellen Moore for LSU job after dismissing Lane Kiffin as a candidate

Given all the chaos that’s unfolded over the last week in Baton Rouge following Sunday’s tumultuous firing of fourth-year head football coach Brian Kelly, LSU‘s search for his replacement has already gone off the rails. That dysfunction led to Thursday’s parting of ways with veteran athletic director Scott Woodward.

And while longtime deputy AD Verne Ausberry has been promoted on an interim basis and will lead the coaching search, college football pundits expect the uncertainty within the Tigers administration — which is also currently without a school president — will significantly impact LSU’s ability to attract a high-profile head coaching candidate. That includes Ole Miss‘ Lane Kiffin.

During Friday morning’s Get Up, ESPN analyst and former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers proposed two off-the-radar candidates that could be great options as LSU’s next head coach: Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and first-year New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore.

Jordan Rodgers: ‘Lane Kiffin is not leaving for that mess’ at LSU

“Lane Kiffin is not leaving for that mess, and I think a lot of other established coaches that may be (normally) be on the radar for LSU aren’t either as of the events of the last couple of days. So I’m going to give you two names that I don’t think anybody’s talking about,” Rodgers said Friday morning. “Brian Hartline, the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, he has a track record of developing and recruiting elite wide receivers. And, as a play caller, look what he’s done with a young quarterback in Julian Sayin this year. I think he’d be a great hire, off-the-radar a little bit.

“And another one, and this might sound a little crazy: Kellen Moore, (who is currently) an hour and 15 minutes down the road. And if you’re like, why would Kellen Moore want to go LSU? Well in a month or so, if (the Saints) are 2-10 or 2-12 and you find out Tyler Shough is not the guy, in the NFL you don’t get more than two years to figure it out at that position,” Rodgers continued, suggesting Moore could already see the writing on the wall in New Orleans. “And success in the NFL doesn’t mean you can’t have success in college. He has got a great scheme, a great offensive mind, would immediately make an impact. And he has a chance to turn good players into great players with his scheme in college, something you can’t really do in the NFL (because) it’s much more star-driven.

“So there’s two names to maybe keep an eye on, maybe completely off the wall, but at LSU, they’re going to have to figure something out.”

In his first season as Ohio State’s offensive play caller, Hartline has directed the Buckeyes to the Big Ten’s fifth-ranked total offense, averaging 431.4 yards per game and the third-ranked passing offense behind the redshirt freshman Sayin, who leads all college football with an 80.0 completion percentage to go along with 19 touchdowns to three interceptions.

Meanwhile, the Saints are currently 1-7 and in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in Moore’s first season as head coach. Could the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and offensive coordinator look to restart things in college? At least one ESPN pundit believes it’s an option LSU should consider.