Unsurprisingly, Jimbo Fisher Is Reportedly LSU AD Joe Alleva's First Coaching Choice

Jimbo Fisher has “emerged” as the favorite to take the LSU head coaching job at the end of the season according to sources who spoke to NOLA.com.

This report is not exactly a surprise considering Jimbo all but had the job at the end of last season when LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva wanted to fire Les Miles and hire him. The university president and then Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal backed keeping Miles and Alleva did so. Alleva then fired the long-time LSU coach after a 2-2 start and a very inept offense at the beginning of the 2016 season.

Miles was replaced by Ed Orgeron as interim head coach. Orgeron has sparked the LSU team and led them to four very convincing wins and a close home loss to Alabama. Should Orgeron win out, many will be clamoring for him to get the job. He’s well-liked in the state, and he likes LSU and has said that he wants the job. Several players have also come out and said they are playing for Orgeron so that he can retain the job.

Orgeron’s biggest fault to date is that LSU looked like Les Miles was still coaching it during the Alabama game. They forced the ball into Leonard Fournette’s hands and were unable to do little else as the offensive line got demolished by Alabama’s NFL-caliber defensive front.

While the goose egg on the scoreboard looks bad, and there is no shame in losing by 10 points to the best team in college football, every other team Alabama has faced this season not named LSU or Kent State has managed to put points on the board. You could chalk that up as LSU getting the best of Alabama because the SEC West winner, at the time, was going to be determined by the outcome of this one game, but the inept offense doesn’t help Orgeron’s cause.

Why Fisher would take the job.

Jimbo would leave Florida State for many reasons. LSU would pay Fisher handsomely and not only that, but they would also pay his coordinators more as well. He is familiar with the state from having spent several years at LSU under Nick Saban. He was well liked by fans and high school coaches while at LSU. LSU offers better facilities and is the major school in the state making recruiting easier. At Florida State Fisher has to recruit against Florida, Miami, and Georgia as well.

Why Fisher wouldn’t take the job.

He’s currently in the ACC, where currently his biggest obstacles are Clemson and Louisville who are in his same division. Those two programs are still climbing the ladder and improving, but other than them, no team in the ACC has a better record than 7-3 this season. His path to the playoff is easier in the ACC than in the SEC West.

Why Orgeron should get the job.

He’s proven he can lead the team and has changed his coaching mindset since his time at Ole Miss. The players and fans love him. He’s turned around a very pedestrian offense that averaged 473 yards per game under Les Miles last season and 339 through the first four games this season, and is averaging 456 yards per game this season. He is also a spectacular recruiter and would still have Dave Aranda as defensive coordinator for the time being.

Why Orgeron shouldn’t get the job.

He didn’t do so well while at Ole Miss and finished with a 10-25 record. He didn’t beat Alabama. Other than that, he’s done all he can in the short time he’s been at the helm of the program to prove that he is worthy of the position.

What I think.

As an LSU fan, I would be fine with Orgeron retaining the job. He’s shown that he has come a long way since his time at Ole Miss when he tried to micromanage every aspect of the program. Now he delegates and lets his coaches do their jobs which is something Les Miles refused to do offensively. With the right offensive coordinator, Orgeron would be a great fit considering his ability to recruit and how well-liked he is within the state.

I would also be fine with Jimbo Fisher getting the job. Fisher has proven he can win a national title as he did so with Jameis Winston at Florida State. He’s also led the Seminoles to five 10 win seasons over the last six years. He is an offensive mind and his team is averaging 60 points per game this season. Throw in Dave Aranda as defensive coordinator and the near future at LSU appears very bright.

NOLA.com also mentions that Alleva has reached out to current North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora, who knows the region and led the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles to a 12-2 season before accepting the position at North Carolina.