LSU Tigers coaching search: Paul Finebaum looks at top candidates to replace Brian Kelly

On Sunday, LSU fired Brian Kelly to add what’s being seen as the best job yet to come onto this year’s coaching carousel. Now, in the aftermath this morning, Paul Finebaum is the latest to weigh in on who the next head coach will be in Baton Rouge.

Finebaum named some candidates and how this process could go for the Tigers while on ‘McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning’ on Monday. That started with the obvious option that every top job in the sport is considering right now in Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, with his candidacy somewhat complicated right now amidst his consideration by other programs during what looks to be a playoff run by the Rebels.

“Yeah, listen. It takes no effort to throw Lane Kiffin’s name out there, which most of us have, including myself,” said Finebaum. “I don’t know what’s going on in Kiffin’s head, and anybody who claims to is probably just making that up because, you know, he just had one of his biggest wins at Ole Miss on Saturday, he’s in a great spot for the playoffs. But, that’s not as critical as you pointed out before, because the portal really doesn’t begin until after the second round of the playoff, and whether or not that involves Ole Miss is not really relevant at this moment.”

From there, though, Finebaum named several of the usual names that have already come up for other jobs elsewhere, like Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham, Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, with at least a mention of Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman as well as even of USC’s Lincoln Riley. However, he’s far more interested currently in how AD Scott Woodward is going to go about this coaching search, and who comes up as a result of that for LSU.

“We all know Scott Woodward? He’s notorious for being against the grain,” said Finebaum. “You know, Brian Kelly was not your typical Jimmy Sexton tree. He was stayed away from that tree after the Jimbo Fisher experiment. But, I don’t think you can decide you’re going to bring somebody in based on who their agent is.”

“Well, I mean, you look at the names that get thrown out? You know, Dillingham, Sumrall, Drinkwitz. I mean, even Marcus Freeman’s name popped up, and the idea of two Notre Dame coaches and they’re going to LSU would be the lottery shock of all time. But, I mean, those are – I think you round up the usual suspects,” Finebaum said. “But also, knowing Scott Woodward, the real question is how much influence will Scott Woodward have in this hire? His track record is pretty self-evident. You know, he goes for unique, winning coaches, which is part of the reason he went for Brian Kelly. But, it’s also worth remembering, and we can debate this and I’m not really sure I know the answer. But, I’ve always felt like Lincoln Riley was his first choice a couple years ago.”

Again, we’re not even a day after Kelly’s firing down in Death Valley, with LSU having just lost on Saturday night and this having taken place over the course of Sunday. That leaves a lot of time for more names, and names that maybe better fit what’s expected, to continue coming out as this search really begins.

“It’s hard for me to believe that LSU, in the period of time that this game got away, has already figured out who their guy is and whether he would accept it,” added Finebaum.

“You have to bring somebody in based on, number one, whether you think they can take the job or will take the job and, equally as important, whether they’ll be successful,” Finebaum said.