Under-the-radar head coach option for LSU football mentioned by national writer

Could an under-the-radar head coach end up being LSU Football‘s replacement for Ed Orgeron?

It’s too early to know for sure — Tigers athletic director Scott Woodward is just getting started with his search.

We’ve heard plenty of “big names” already mentioned — Jimbo Fisher, James Franklin, Lane Kiffin, and Dabo Swinney — but what are the chances that one of those big names will actually be hired?

Woodward is going to swing big, but that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll get one of his top choices.

Under-the-radar head coach option for LSU football mentioned by national college football writer

The Athletic’s Andy Staples mentioned a potential option for LSU this week that I hadn’t thought about.

Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson.

I know, I know. That’s not an extremely attractive name.

But I can see where Staples is coming from with this suggestion.

Clawson, a New York native, has done a remarkable job at Wake Forest since arriving in Winston-Salem in 2014.

The former collegiate defensive back is 46-45 at Wake Forest. That record may not sound impressive, but it’s tough to find that kind of success at Wake Forest — a small school with strict academic standards. The Demon Deacons are basically the Vanderbilt of the ACC.

Wake Forest is 6-0 this season, which means they’ll be going to a bowl game for the sixth consecutive season.

Again, that’s an impressive feat at Wake Forest.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Clawson should be anywhere near the top of Woodward’s list. But I can certainly see why Staples mentioned him.

Clawson is obviously a great coach. And he could potentially thrive in the SEC.

The only problem here is Clawson’s lack of SEC experience — his only experience in the SEC was the one year he spent as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator in 2008.

Of course, Nick Saban and Les Miles didn’t have any SEC experience when they took over at LSU, so maybe it’s not that important.