The college football coaching carousel continues to get bigger every week. Thanks to Auburn firing Hugh Freeze over the weekend, a total of 11 head coaches have now been fired before Week 11. That's already a record, and more could be on the way. But all LSU fans are concerned about right now is who Brian Kelly's replacement is going to be.
Frank Wilson is saying all the right things before LSU hopes to upset Alabama
The LSU coaching search is off to a tumultuous start. Governor Jeff Landry's comments, as well as athletic director Scott Woodward and LSU parting ways have made for plenty of fireworks in the early stages of finding a new head football coach. LSU hot boards tend to consist of similar names, most of which include the likes of Lane Kiffin, Eli Drinkwitz, Joe Brady, and Jon Sumrall. But there's one name out there that LSU fans should be talking more about.
Matt Campbell is a potential dark horse replacement for Brian Kelly
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell's name has been floated around in previous years to land a major coaching job. It hasn't happened, as Campbell is now in his 10th season in Ames. He's been a consistent winner, owning an overall record of 69-55 and led the Cyclones to their first-ever 11-win season in program history in 2024. He is Iowa State's all-time winningest coach, and could be a great fit in Baton Rouge.
College football analysts and podcast host Josh Pate thinks that Campbell would be great at LSU. Pate has a lot of names that could potentially work at LSU, but he is high on Campbell for a number of reasons. In a recent episode of Josh Pate's College Football Show, Pate describes why Campbell would be a solid fit at LSU.
"I'll go back to the same name I always use on this show because I'm super high on him. Take a Matt Campbell at Iowa State. He's been there for a long time, he's a great coach. He has good results compared to comparable competition. He's got max roster and staff buy-in...guys love to play for him, guys love to work for him. They have players constantly take less to play for them because they believe in the culture of the program that much, and that is huge when you get into the kind of NIL bidding wars you get into in the SEC."Josh Pate
Pate reiterates that there are several coaches who fit this description, but mentions Campbell specifically in regard to the LSU opening. Campbell isn't the flashiest name out there, and most likley isn't at the top od LSU's list. However, that doesn't mean he couldn't be effective in Baton Rouge. As the coaching search treks on, Campbell could be worth a look.