The search for Brian Kelly's replacement is underway. After Kelly's tenure resulted in a 34-14 overall record, a less-than-ideal 19-10 mark in SEC play and zero College Football Playoff appearances, Tiger fans eager for a winner. Some of the most popular names being thrown around as possible replacement are Lane Kiffin, Jon Sumrall, Dan Lanning, and Joe Brady.
Lane Kiffin does nothing to slow down LSU rumors with his latest comments
Also among the names being mentioned is Clemson's Dabo Swinney. The move would undoubtedly send shockwaves around the college football universe. Clemson and Swinney faced LSU to open the 2025 season, with LSU earning a 17-10 victory on the road. The win was supposed to be a signature win for Kelly, but both Clemson and LSU have gone downhill ever since, and now both teams are unranked in the AP Poll.
Is there an actual chance that LSU hires Dabo Swinney?
Swinney's name is not listed on most LSU hot boards. Those spots are reserved for the likes of Kiffin, Lanning, Sumrall, Brady, and even other names including Eli Drinkwitz and Kenny Dillingham. But CBS Sports has Swinney listed as a "crazy" hire in a recent report.
"Swinney is amid his worst season as Clemson's head coach since 2010. Could Woodward follow his Texas A&M playbook and lure a national champion to Baton Rouge? Swinney is a proven program builder and would seem to fit in at LSU culturally in a way Kelly never managed to. If Swinney wants a fresh start, you could pick much worse places than Baton Rouge to do so. But like Fisher, you must wonder if Swinney would be a sexy enough hire at this point in his career."Chris Hummer, CBS Sports
It's not the first time that Swinney has popped up as a potential candidate for the LSU job. When Ed Orgeron was fired in 2021, Swinney's name bounced around. But the Clemson head coach had no intention of leaving, saying "This is the only Death Valley I'm concerned with right here."
Swinney leaving Clemson for LSU would be shocking. Yes he is having a bad season right now, but he has delivered many historic seasons and is forever engrained with Clemson football. He's been there since 2003 and became the head coach in 2009. Since then, he's won two National Championships (2016 and 2018) and won 10+ games in 13 different seasons.
In September of 2022, Swinney signed a contract extension worth a whopping $115 million that keeps him as Clemson's head coach through 2031. He isn't on the hot seat, so he shouldn't feel any heat to leave. But as we've seen before, anything is possible when it comes to the college football coaching carousel. As it stands, Swinney coming to LSU could be earth shattering.