LSU has barely begun its new era under Lane Kiffin, but the Tigers suddenly have reason to feel uneasy.
Michigan’s shocking dismissal of Sherrone Moore on Wednesday sent another jolt through an already insane coaching landscape. And it could create the one opening that would force LSU to sweat out its newly finalized hire.
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is already being floated as a frontrunner for the Michigan vacancy, and if the Wolverines pursue him aggressively, the ripple effects could be unprecedented.
Should Alabama lose DeBoer after just two seasons, the most logical and complicated name that would surge to the top of the Tide’s list is Lane Kiffin.
That possibility gained new life earlier this month thanks to former ESPN analyst Todd McShay. While appearing on The Bill Simmons Podcast, McShay said Kiffin’s heart was set on Tuscaloosa more than Baton Rouge.
According to McShay, Kiffin delayed his commitment to LSU until after Alabama’s 27-20 Iron Bowl win over Auburn. Not to see whether Ole Miss might back into the SEC Championship Game as many assumed, but to see whether the door at Alabama might crack open a bit. Well, maybe Kiffin should've delayed a bit longer.
“The same people telling me Friday night that he’s going to LSU also said it wouldn’t be official until after that Alabama game,” McShay said. “Because the job he wants more than any other job is Alabama.”
Kiffin worked under Nick Saban during Alabama’s championship run in the mid-2010s, and McShay described the “bond and mutual respect” between the two, even amid their fiery sideline disagreements. The idea that Kiffin left one percent of himself wondering about Tuscaloosa only heightens LSU’s anxiety now.
If DeBoer chases another opportunity in Ann Arbor, Alabama would suddenly face a vacancy with Kiffin. He's always been unpredictable and ambitious. But would be do the unthinkable?
LSU may have hired its coach and banking on the fact he'll be in the long-term plans. But if Michigan triggers another domino fall, the Tigers’ offseason drama might only just be beginning.
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