As the regular season comes to an end on Saturday, it puts the LSU Tigers one step closer to naming the next head football coach. Plenty of names have been speculated about. Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher, Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley, and Michigan State’s Mel Tucker have been the most talked about. Fisher is adamant on staying, Riley feels like a pipedream, and Tucker is about to sign a 10-year extension with the Spartans.
With that said, our focus is going to be on the other names that we have heard. We begin with former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. He is one game away from potentially coaching for the Big 12 Championship on Dec. 5, he just needs some help from Oklahoma State. Could he come back to Baton Rouge?
Dave Aranda’s Profile
Experience
- Baylor Head Coach (2020-Current)
- LSU AHC/DC/LB Coach (2016-19)
- Wisconsin DC/ILB Coach (2013-15)
- Utah State DC (2012)
- Hawaii DC (2010-11)
- Hawaii LB Coach (2008-09)
- Southern Utah DC (2008)
- Delta State Co-DC/LB Coach (2007)
- Cal Luthern DC/LB Coach (2005-06)
- Houston LB Coach (2003-04)
- Texas Tech GA (2000-02)
Head Coach Record
- 2020: 4-6
- 2021: 9-2
Aranda is no stranger to the Bayou and it is well documented that his family loved their time in Baton Rouge. If Aranda gets the offer, it might be difficult to turn it down and return to LSU. The wildcard will be that of the USC Trojans. Much like the Bayou, he has ties to Southern California where he grew up and played college ball for heading to Texas as a graduate assistant for the Red Raiders. He played and coached for Cal Luthern before heading to Lubbock and returned to Cal Luthern in 2005.
The LSU defense really hasn’t been the same without him. They struggled this season until they completely changed the way they attack offenses. He would strengthen that unit. Does he want to leave Baylor where he has built that program back up after Matt Rhule left for the NFL? That remains to be seen. He is definitely one of the hottest names to monitor moving forward.
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