I had my cell phone and landline working at all times Monday as I was reaching out to everyone I could get on the phone in regards to the LSU coaching search.
This morning through late afternoon, the most scuttlebutt was with North Carolina football coach Larry Fedora. He is a real candidate for the LSU job. More than one source confirmed that fact.
First source said that LSU athletics director Joe Alleva holds Fedora in high regard and wouldn't hesitate in pulling the trigger on him. What's interesting about Fedora is that his agent (Patrick Strong of Balch and Bingham) is also Dave Aranda's agent. So there's a connection there and a history from a negotiation standpoint.
Someone i spoke with this evening told me that Texas is Fedora's dream job but that LSU is an easy consolation prize since Tom Herman is the Longhorns one-and-only candidate once Charlie Strong is cut loose.
One contact in Chapel Hill told me that there is "No way" UNC would be able to hold onto Fedora if LSU were to offer him the job. Interestingly, two coaches on Fedora's Tar Heel staff were at LSU previously. Larry Porter, running backs coach and linebackers coach John Papuchis who was a defensive staff intern under Bo Pelini through 2007.
Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is still the guy and certainly the bigger splash hire. There is no doubt that the introduction of Fisher as LSU's next head football coach has the bigger "Wow" factor nationally. A huge recruiting bounce comes with Fisher and it sends a message nationally that LSU isn't playing around. A Fisher hire would give LSU three straight national championship coaches and a continuation of program stability for many more years.
Whether it's Fisher or Fedora, both hires would give Alleva a focus on offense and i'm told that is something he desires greatly after years of Les Miles struggling in that area. The issue i see with Fedora is he runs a full-blown spread offense and this makes his teams prone to having a defense on the field for extended periods of time. My source who covers Tar Heel football beat mentioned three-and-out offensive series that only took 30 seconds off the clock and the defense was right back out there. So far this season, North Carolina is near the bottom of the NCAA in offensive time of possession. 127 out of 128. They are 60th in total defense. Gene Chizik is their defensive coordinator.
As of now, there does not seem to be any other serious names that have surfaced for the LSU coaching job. It appears to me that it's down to Fisher and Fedora, both from the ACC.
Like I said the Sunday that Les Miles was fired, Jimbo Fisher is the guy that I put the highest odds on and i'm sticking with that until the end. It's his job to turn down or if there's some asinine scenario where Alleva is forced to go cheap. Money is not a problem, unless F.King Alexander sticks his nose in and plays some political game again. The money is privately raised and there seems to be no scoffing at salary numbers approaching 7 million plus Fisher's 5 million dollar buyout.
Florida State sources can pen columns telling you why it makes no sense for Fisher to leave, why it's a lateral move at best, easier in the ACC versus going up against Nick Saban, property he's been looking to buy and all sorts of other things but the bottom line is that he wanted the job last November and that ship has not sailed. It only sails if there is another forced error that comes in sideways.
LSU's regular season ends Thursday night, North Carolina's ends Friday when the Tar Heels face N.C. State unless Virginia upsets Va. Tech. That coupled with a UNC win puts the Tar Heels in the ACC title game against Clemson. Florida State ends with Florida in prime time Saturday night.
Usually in these scenarios, word will leak first in the city of the coach. If you hear of a hastened team meeting called in either Tallahassee or Chapel Hill Sunday, then you'll know that a coach is telling his current team that he's accepted the LSU job.
Most likely scenario is that LSU's next football coach gets introduced next Monday or Tuesday. If it goes beyond that, something might have gone awry.
This morning through late afternoon, the most scuttlebutt was with North Carolina football coach Larry Fedora. He is a real candidate for the LSU job. More than one source confirmed that fact.
First source said that LSU athletics director Joe Alleva holds Fedora in high regard and wouldn't hesitate in pulling the trigger on him. What's interesting about Fedora is that his agent (Patrick Strong of Balch and Bingham) is also Dave Aranda's agent. So there's a connection there and a history from a negotiation standpoint.
Someone i spoke with this evening told me that Texas is Fedora's dream job but that LSU is an easy consolation prize since Tom Herman is the Longhorns one-and-only candidate once Charlie Strong is cut loose.
One contact in Chapel Hill told me that there is "No way" UNC would be able to hold onto Fedora if LSU were to offer him the job. Interestingly, two coaches on Fedora's Tar Heel staff were at LSU previously. Larry Porter, running backs coach and linebackers coach John Papuchis who was a defensive staff intern under Bo Pelini through 2007.
Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is still the guy and certainly the bigger splash hire. There is no doubt that the introduction of Fisher as LSU's next head football coach has the bigger "Wow" factor nationally. A huge recruiting bounce comes with Fisher and it sends a message nationally that LSU isn't playing around. A Fisher hire would give LSU three straight national championship coaches and a continuation of program stability for many more years.
Whether it's Fisher or Fedora, both hires would give Alleva a focus on offense and i'm told that is something he desires greatly after years of Les Miles struggling in that area. The issue i see with Fedora is he runs a full-blown spread offense and this makes his teams prone to having a defense on the field for extended periods of time. My source who covers Tar Heel football beat mentioned three-and-out offensive series that only took 30 seconds off the clock and the defense was right back out there. So far this season, North Carolina is near the bottom of the NCAA in offensive time of possession. 127 out of 128. They are 60th in total defense. Gene Chizik is their defensive coordinator.
As of now, there does not seem to be any other serious names that have surfaced for the LSU coaching job. It appears to me that it's down to Fisher and Fedora, both from the ACC.
Like I said the Sunday that Les Miles was fired, Jimbo Fisher is the guy that I put the highest odds on and i'm sticking with that until the end. It's his job to turn down or if there's some asinine scenario where Alleva is forced to go cheap. Money is not a problem, unless F.King Alexander sticks his nose in and plays some political game again. The money is privately raised and there seems to be no scoffing at salary numbers approaching 7 million plus Fisher's 5 million dollar buyout.
Florida State sources can pen columns telling you why it makes no sense for Fisher to leave, why it's a lateral move at best, easier in the ACC versus going up against Nick Saban, property he's been looking to buy and all sorts of other things but the bottom line is that he wanted the job last November and that ship has not sailed. It only sails if there is another forced error that comes in sideways.
LSU's regular season ends Thursday night, North Carolina's ends Friday when the Tar Heels face N.C. State unless Virginia upsets Va. Tech. That coupled with a UNC win puts the Tar Heels in the ACC title game against Clemson. Florida State ends with Florida in prime time Saturday night.
Usually in these scenarios, word will leak first in the city of the coach. If you hear of a hastened team meeting called in either Tallahassee or Chapel Hill Sunday, then you'll know that a coach is telling his current team that he's accepted the LSU job.
Most likely scenario is that LSU's next football coach gets introduced next Monday or Tuesday. If it goes beyond that, something might have gone awry.
