LSU Football: Another defensive coordinator option off the board for Tigers

LSU football is still searching for a defensive coordinator to replace Bo Pelini.

I’m not sure who LSU football will hire as their next defensive coordinator, but we’re starting to get a better picture of who it won’t be.

Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White appears to be out as an option.

247Sports reported this week that White, a Wake Forest graduate who has NFL coaching experience with the Indianapolis Colts, is getting “head coaching buzz”.

For that reason, White would seemingly prefer to stay at Kentucky and wait on a head coaching gig.

It could be tough for LSU football to land a young up-and-coming defensive coordinator

The fact that White could eschew LSU in order to stay at Kentucky illustrates a potential issue the Tigers could have in hiring a new defensive coordinator.

(Note: There’s been reported contact between LSU and White, so it’s unclear how high up the list White was for the Tigers.)

If a young defensive coordinator is getting head coaching buzz at a “lesser” program, what’s the point in going to LSU? A tough first season could absolutely ruin that head coaching buzz.

And after the season that Pelini just had in Baton Rouge, I could see why some young coaches would be afraid of that outcome.

This is part of the reason it seems unlikely that Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman will land at LSU.

This is also a reason that I think hiring someone like former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason would be the best path for LSU to take.

For one, he’d likely stay a little longer. Plus, Mason has a vast amount of experience that could help LSU get better on the defensive side of the ball.