LSU Football could go with another one year wonder for next defensive coordinator
By Zach Ragan
LSU football is looking for a new defensive coordinator after Dave Aranda replaced Matt Rhule as Baylor’s head coach.
LSU football made a bold move last off-season by hiring Joe Brady as their passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach.
Brady, who just turned 30 in September, was serving as an offensive analyst for the New Orleans Saints when Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron hired him.
The move paid off for LSU. Brady helped Joe Burrow and the Tigers unlock a potent offense that helped lead the program to a win in the national championship game against Clemson.
Unfortunately for LSU, Brady was one and done in Baton Rouge. Shortly after helping LSU beat Clemson, Brady agreed to become the Carolina Panthers’ new offensive coordinator.
While LSU fans were undoubtedly sad to see Brady go, they’ll likely take a one and done assistant coach every time if it results in a national championship.
Perhaps the Tigers can go the same route again in 2020 — except on the defensive side of the ball.
LSU needs a defensive coordinator. And there are several capable candidates.
But there’s one name that’s been tossed around that would be a tremendous fit in Baton Rouge. However, he’d likely only be around for one season.
Kris Richard, who previously served as the Dallas Cowboys defensive backs coach (he wasn’t retained by Mike McCarthy), is extremely well thought of in the NFL. He actually interviewed for the New York Giants head coaching job in early January.
Richard played at USC when Orgeron was serving as the Trojans’ defensive line coach.
With Richard out of a job, becoming the defensive coordinator at LSU could be a very tempting option.
The only problem for LSU is that Richard is a NFL guy through and through. He hasn’t coached in college since 2009 when he was a graduate assistant with USC.
If Richard were to come to LSU, I couldn’t see him staying in Baton Rouge for long. His goal would likely be to improve his resumé as a coach. Perhaps getting another job as a defensive coordinator in the NFL (he was the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator from 2015-17), or maybe a head coaching gig.
Next. The NCAA is making some sense for once. dark
Bringing in fresh ideas from the NFL worked for LSU on the offensive side of the ball, it might not be a bad idea to try it on the defensive side of the ball in 2020.