LSU is already sorting through a list of potential candidates to fill its coaching vacancy, and the names range from the expected to the downright intriguing. One among them is James Franklin, who entered the conversation soon after his own firing at Penn State. ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers even went on SportsCenter to pitch Franklin as an ideal fit for Baton Rouge. But insiders familiar with both programs see it differently. In their view, the case against Franklin is clear, and so they are pointing toward a far more unconventional alternative.

Penn State insider Zach Seyko put it bluntly during a recent discussion about the` LSU opening, saying, “But I think Brian Kelly and James Franklin are very similar coaches… You don’t fire James Franklin in the middle of the season to go with Matt Rhule or Manny Diaz, who literally coached beneath James Franklin. You go with somebody that offers you more potential, more upside. So, you’d be hiring James Franklin in theory. What would that change for LSU? Probably nothing.”

James Franklin and Brian Kelly draw comparisons because their records tell nearly identical stories. Franklin went 104–45 at Penn State but just 4–21 against top-10 teams, including only one win in ten tries versus Ohio State.  Kelly’s résumé follows the same curve: 113–40 at Notre Dame, but a combined 0–4 in BCS and College Football Playoff games, and 1–5 against top-five opponents during that stretch. Both coaches consistently deliver nine- or ten-win seasons, recruit at a top-15 level, and keep their programs nationally relevant. But they both have struggled to turn that stability into championships. Here’s where Joe Brady comes in.

Seyko says, “Joe Brady is an intriguing candidate. It’s something different. He was an analyst at Penn State once upon a time. And he has the NFL experience… (although) he doesn’t have the coaching experience. (But) does he want to be back in college? He’s been linked to the Tennessee Titans job. He would prefer being a head coach there than a college coach at Penn State or LSU.” But then, Matt Moscona, an LSU insider who has covered the team for decades, laid out the math and the logic.

“I was told that Joe Brady currently is making 1.8 million with the Bills,” he said, citing his trusted sources in the agent world. “If you’re making 1.8, you come to college at LSU or Penn State, make 5 to 7 million dollars, which is a relative discount compared to what you were just paying your coach, but it’s a massive raise for someone like Brady. Now, you are taking a risk on a first-time head coach. But the thing that Joe Brady, the reputation here was that he hated recruiting, and it’s one of the reasons he wanted to go to the NFL. But so much of recruiting now is done with a checkbook, man. Like, it’s just not the same that it used to be.”

The 36-year-old coach is currently running one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses in Buffalo. Brady was LSU’s passing game coordinator during that legendary 2019 season when the Tigers averaged 48.4 points per game behind Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson en route to a national championship. 

He left for the NFL shortly after, climbing the ladder from Carolina Panthers OC to his current role with the Bills. The conventional wisdom has always been that Brady wasn’t coming back to college because he reportedly hated recruiting and wanted the cleaner structure of the NFL. But the college landscape has fundamentally changed since Brady left five years ago, and that might be enough to lure him back.​

College football is starting to resemble the NFL in a lot of ways. Coaches don’t have to spend nearly as much time on the road, meeting high school coaches and begging recruits to visit campus. They can focus on scheme, player development, and roster construction. That’s exactly the stuff Brady excels at in Buffalo, making the risk-reward calculation fascinating. 

Moscona said it best when he reflected on the Les Miles precedent. “They fired him in the middle of the season, and the thought was just that. It was like you don’t fire a national championship-winning coach to promote the interim. But that’s exactly what they ended up doing with Ed Orgeron.”

And Orgeron delivered a national title three years later. Brady’s connection to LSU runs deep. He’s already beloved in Baton Rouge for what he accomplished in 2019. And at just 36 years old, he’d have the energy to connect with players while bringing NFL-level offensive innovation. 

While insiders debate Brady’s potential return to Baton Rouge, LSU’s search board reportedly includes several other names, ranging from proven college head coaches to high-upside coordinators.

Other contenders in LSU’s coaching hunt

Regardless of the odds, Lane Kiffin tops the list, fresh off a statement win at Oklahoma that strengthened his playoff credentials with Ole Miss. ESPN’s Paul Finebaum has already floated Kiffin as a natural cultural fit, arguing that LSU’s structure and resources align better with his personality than Florida’s ongoing rebuild.

Further down the list are coaches like Iowa State’s Matt Campbell and Georgia Tech’s Brent Key, both of whom have built reputations for program turnarounds. Campbell’s consistency in Ames has long made him a quiet candidate for bigger jobs, while Key’s 8–0 start and a top-10 ranking at Georgia Tech have vaulted him into national relevance. His Alabama background adds another layer of appeal for an SEC powerhouse seeking someone who understands the league’s recruiting and developmental demands.

Then there are names that would signal a more forward-looking move. Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz have each engineered impressive ascents, combining tactical sharpness with strong locker-room cultures. SMU’s Rhett Lashlee, meanwhile, has turned the Mustangs into a consistent winner backed by an ambitious booster base, a profile that mirrors LSU’s own. Whether the Tigers ultimately chase experience or innovation, their list reflects one clear truth: this hire will shape the direction of the program for years.