LSU Football: Joe Brady has a decision to make, but his choice should be obvious

LSU Tigers passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Brady is a hot name in the coaching world right now.

Sports Illustrated reported on Saturday that LSU Tigers passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Brady agreed to a three year extension, via a signed memorandum of understanding, to remain in Baton Rouge.

However, the agreement, which hasn’t been executed yet, allows Brady to leave LSU for a collegiate head coaching gig or a job in the NFL.

Essentially, the agreement only protects LSU from losing Brady to another program as an assistant.

That means Brady still has a major decision to make. And with the Carolina Panthers reportedly showing interest in Brady, I’d expect the chatter surrounding LSU’s young offensive mastermind to heat up in the coming days.

The Panthers are believed to have strong interest. And Carolina’s new owner, David Tepper, has extremely deep pockets, which means money won’t be an issue for the Panthers.

The decision for Brady, who just turned 30 in September, basically comes down to where he wants to be next year — he’s going to be rich either way.

Sports Illustrated noted that most feel like Brady is destined to end up in the NFL at some point. He spent two seasons on Sean Payton’s staff in New Orleans before joining Ed Orgeron’s staff in Baton Rouge.

The NFL trend right now is to hire young offensive gurus (thanks to Sean McVay), so Brady’s stock might never be higher than it is right now.

But that doesn’t mean I think he should make the jump the NFL right now. In fact, I think he’d be wise to stay at LSU for at least one more season.

Just because McVay made a successful jump to being an offensive coordinator at a young age doesn’t mean it’s the right move for Brady.

For every coach like McVay who has major success at a young age, there’s a dozen coaches who tried to advance too quickly in their careers.

Brady has a lot of years in football ahead of him. But if makes the leap to the NFL too quickly, it could actually set his career back.

The Florida native has never called plays and he’s spent one year (outside of his time at William & Mary) in an on-the-field coaching role. Sure, he’s obviously an incredibly smart coach. But he still has a lot to learn. Joining a first time NFL head coach in Charlotte might not be the best move for his longterm coaching career.

Landing with the Panthers as an offensive coordinator isn’t a destination job for Joe Brady. It’s simply another step on the coaching ladder. He has plenty of time to take those steps.

I think Brady would be best served to stick around at LSU for another year or two, become a bigger part of the play calling process and then decide on his next move.

Brady is an intelligent guy. He’s going to be smart about the next step in his coaching career.

That’s why I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brady back on Coach O’s staff in 2020.