LSU football coaching board 4.0: What's the Lane Kiffin backup plan?

LSU football is all in on hiring Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. That much is clear.

Most coaching searches often involve a handful of names, but Kiffin continues to be the only man mentioned with LSU right now. Does that mean Kiffin is a lock for Baton Rouge? No. But recent reports have LSU in the pole position to win Kiffin's services, beating out Ole Miss and Florida.

Ole Miss AD Keith Carter said an announcement on Kiffin's future would come this weekend, after Ole Miss plays Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Friday.

When the Kiffin domino falls, the coaching carousel will really begin to spin.

Let's say Kiffin stays at Ole Miss. That keeps LSU and Florida open, and both want to make a big-name hire. That could be the catalyst for chaos.

With a Kiffin decision imminent, this might be the last coaching hot board of the LSU football search. Obviously, Kiffin is atop the wishlist, but what if LSU is left hanging? Let's take a look at where the Tigers could pivot.

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Head Coach

We won't spend a ton of time here -- you know the story by now. Kiffin is LSU's first choice to be the Tigers' next head coach.

Kiffin just reached double-digit wins for the fourth time at Ole Miss. He's brought the Rebels unprecedented consistency, with three straight 10-win seasons. Kiffin's offense is dynamic and he's a proven evaluator in the transfer portal.

Kiffin would have to step up his high school recruiting in Baton Rouge, but there's a lot to like about the Ole Miss head coach.

Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri Head Coach

When another name has popped up in the LSU search, it's been Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

Drinkwitz got his head coaching start at App State in 2019. He won 12 games with the Mountaineers, leading to a job in the SEC. It took Drinkwitz a couple of years to get Missouri off the ground, but the Tigers have rolled in recent years.

Missouri reached 11 wins and won the Cotton Bowl in 2023. Last year, Drinkwitz won 10 games and finished ranked again. Missouri is 7-4 this year, but Drinkwitz assembled another quality roster.

Jon Sumrall, Tulane Head Coach

Reports have indicated LSU would be interested in Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall if the Tigers missed on Kiffin. Sumrall is one of the top names on the market, garnering interest across the SEC. If Kiffin leaves Ole Miss, Sumrall becomes priority No. 1 for the Rebels.

Sumrall won a lot of games at Troy before taking over Tulane. He's continued that success at Tulane with the Green Wave contending for a College Football Playoff spot in 2024 and again in 2025.

Sumrall is a proven program builder and sharp defensive mind.

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State Head Coach

Dillingham is an Arizona State alum and he's made it clear, he loves the school. It would take a lot to get the rising star out of Tempe, but it's easy to see Dillingham finding success at the SEC level.

Arizona State won a combined four games in 2022 and 2023. Dillingham wasted no time rebuilding and led ASU to a College Football Playoff birth in 2024.

In 2025, Arizona State dealt with a handful of injuries, including star QB Sam Leavitt and WR Jordon Tyson. Despite that, Arizona State is 8-3 and ranked in the last CFP poll.

There hasn't been any real smoke connecting LSU and Dillingham, but he's the type of splash hire LSU wants to make.

Brent Key, Georgia Tech Head Coach

Like Dillingham, Key is an alumnus of the school he currently coaches -- Georgia Tech.

Key has indicated he will remain in Atlanta, but he's yet to sign a contract extension and his name has been tied to openings at Penn State and Florida. If LSU misses on Kiffin, could the Tigers give Key a look?

Key is familiar with the SEC after spending time on Nick Saban's Alabama staff. At Georgia Tech, he's excelled as a recruiter and has the Yellow Jackets competing at the top of the SEC. He's a former offensive lineman and that could be what LSU needs with the Tigers' recent struggles at the position.

Wildcards

LSU's search has narrowed and this hot board is a lot shorter than it was when we first started in October, but if the carousel takes some unexpected turns, LSU might be forced to think outside the box.

Again, LSU wants to make a splash hire. Could Tennessee's Josh Huepel fit that bill?

Or, LSU could go the coordinator route and look at Georgia DC Glenn Schumann.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football coaching board 4.0: What's the Lane Kiffin backup plan?