If Ed Orgeron is fired, here are 5 realistic options LSU could hire to replace him

With Ed Orgeron moving toward the hottest of hot seats, if he’s not there already, here are five candidates to replace him as the head coach at LSU.

Heading into last Saturday night’s game UCLA became a trendy pick at least cover the spread, if not outright beat, LSU. Alas, the 2019 national champs went home with a 38-27 loss. They didn’t look they could win the Pac-12, let alone compete in the SEC. Speculation about the status of head coach Ed Orgeron had some steam before the game, and it’s surely not going away.

Spurred by a record-setting offense piloted by Joe Burrow, LSU went 15-0 and marched to a national title in 2019. Include the previous season, Burrow’s first as the starter, and the Bayou Bengals were 25-3 over a two-year span. Otherwise, with any other quarterback besides Burrow, Orgeron is 20-12 as LSU’s coach and 36-39 overall as a head coach.

Last season will be a pandemic-driven mulligan for most college football programs, with canceled and rescheduled games far and wide. LSU’s 5-5 mark came with losses to Auburn, Texas A&M and Alabama–games they might have lost in a normal year.

But expectations are high at LSU. If the Tigers continue to trend toward a season where they’ll be closer to .500 than a big-time bowl game, the heat on Orgeron’s seat will become scorching. Their next two games, which should be easy wins over McNeese State and Central Michigan, will only provide a brief respite (if at all).

Looking to the end of the season, with an in-season firing unlikely but possible (see Les Miles, 2016), here are five possible candidates to replace Orgeron as LSU’s football coach. And before we start, forget about Jimbo Fisher leaving Texas A&M to come to LSU.

If LSU fires Ed Orgeron, who could they get?

5. Joe Brady, Carolina Panthers Offensive Coordinator

Brady was the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at LSU in 2019, and the Tigers’ offensive display got him an opportunity to be Matt Rhule’s offensive coordinator in Carolina. He is entering his second season in that job since leaving LSU after helping Joe Burrow win the Heisman and the Tigers the national championship. The soon-to-be 32-year old Brady spent two seasons as an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints before landing at LSU. The next step for him feels like it’ll be an NFL head coaching job, but perhaps LSU makes a call to see if he’d be interested in coming back as the head coach.