Tag: Dave Aranda

Former LSU assistant Dave Aranda helps Brian Kelly’s old team

Brian Kelly’s old team might owe former LSU assistant Dave Aranda a thank you.

The first domino for College Football Playoff chaos has fallen. In the Big 12 Championship game on Saturday, former LSU assistant Dave Aranda led his team to the victory. Aranda’s first championship comes in his second season with the Baylor Bears. Former LSU defensive tackle Siaki Ika was part of the defense that stood tall when they needed them most.

The Bears were No. 9 coming into the game with a 10-2 record. Their opponents were the No. 5 Oklahoma State Cowboys with an 11-1 record. In the re-match from Oct. 2, the Bears were able to hold off the Cowboys. The game gave Baylor their third conference championship tying them with the Texas Longhorns for the second-most to Oklahoma.

What the outcome did do was open the doors for Brian Kelly’s previous team the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They are 11-1 with their only loss coming to the Cincinnati Bearcats in South Bend. As the No. 6 team, they are right in line for the opportunity to return to the CFP for the third time in four years. It isn’t a foregone conclusion, but they busted the door wide open.

The next domino could fall in the SEC title game, for the Irish they need Georgia to take care of business.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Do you think that Notre Dame will get into the CFP? Discuss it with Patrick on Twitter: @PatrickConnCFB

Final thoughts on Lincoln Riley leaving Oklahoma for USC and what’s next for OU

As the Oklahoma Sooners head coaching search rages on, here are some final thoughts on Lincoln Riley’s departure and what’s next for OU.

It’s been a long six days since the news broke that Lincoln Riley was leaving the Oklahoma Sooners for the USC Trojans. Oklahoma leadership is entrenched with its coaching search while the new-look coaching staff has worked to retain players on the current roster and recruits.

Riley left the Sooners in a difficult position, but when Bob Stoops took the helm in the interim, the situation began to seem not so bad.

Led by Joseph Harroz, Joe Castiglione and Bob Stoops, Oklahoma is looking to the future of the program. As the coaching search appears to be reaching its conclusion, here are some final thoughts on Lincoln Riley’s departure and what’s next for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Oklahoma Sooners planning introductory press conference for head coach per All Sooners on SI report

Per a report from John Hoover of All Sooners on SI, the Oklahoma Sooners are planning an introductory press conference for their next Head Coach.

Though it’s just been six days since the shot heard ’round the college football world, it feels like forever since Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for the USC Trojans.

However, the future is just around the corner. It appears the Sooners are closing in on the next head coach of the University of Oklahoma football team.

According to a report from John Hoover of All Sooners on Sports Illustrated, Oklahoma is making preparations for an introductory press conference on Sunday or Monday.

Multiple sources close to the situation have confirmed to SI Sooners that plans are being made for OU athletic director Joe Castiglione to stage an introductory press conference on Sunday or possibly early Monday. – Hoover, All Sooners on SI

While Brent Venables has been a hot name connected to the Oklahoma Sooners job, Joe Castiglione indicated earlier this week that the Sooners may want to talk to head coaches involved in conference title games this weekend. That could include Baylor’s Dave Aranda, Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell or Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning.

Though the search for Oklahoma’s next head coach isn’t over, according to this report, it looks like it’s drawing to a close. Despite the coaching change, the Sooners have retained much of their 2022 recruiting class. Finding the next leader of the program will help the Sooners get back on their feet for 2023.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

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Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde says Iowa State’s Matt Campbell ‘not a candidate at Oklahoma’

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde reported that Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell is “not a candidate at Oklahoma” according to his sources.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, fans can cross off Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell’s name from the list of potential candidates to become Oklahoma’s next head football coach.

Forde wrote on Twitter that his sources indicate that Campbell is “not a candidate at Oklahoma.”

Campbell and Iowa State entered the season as one of the favorites to be playing in this weekend’s Big 12 Championship game. Instead, the Cyclones finished 7-5 overall and 5-4 in Big 12 play to wind up on the outside looking in on conference championship weekend.

Iowa State did earn a league-high eight All-Big 12 First Team selections. ISU running back Breece Hall was selected as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and the Cyclones’ Will McDonald IV was chosen as one of the Co-Defensive Linemen of the Year.

Oklahoma had two All-Big 12 First Team selections and seven others chosen on the All-Big 12 Second Team.

With Campbell reportedly out of the picture, the questions remain. Who is Oklahoma’s next head football coach and when is this decision going to be announced?

Oklahoma interim head coach Bob Stoops shared a potential timeline on his YouTube channel with former TV anchor and host Brad McMullan.

“Makes things into disarray here this past week with current players as well as recruiting. There’s a little bit of uncertainty for everybody and understandably so. But, you know, we’ll find a great head coach and I’m sure it won’t take long. I would anticipate this weekend sometime. At latest, maybe Monday. And things will settle in and people will realize we’re fine,” Stoops said.

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables has been one of the most prominent names linked to the job. Venables coached at Oklahoma as part of Stoops’ staff from the 1999 through 2011 seasons.

After it was announced that Mike Stoops would return as Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator in January of 2012, Venables left OU to become Clemson’s defensive coordinator.

In his tenure at Clemson, Venables has coached eight first-round NFL Draft selections, seen 15 of his players drafted inside the top 100 players of the NFL Draft and had 26 defensive players drafted overall.

Over the same time span, OU has had one defensive player taken in the NFL Draft’s first round and just five defensive players selected within the NFL Draft’s top 100 picks.

Other names that have been mentioned as potential candidates for Oklahoma’s next head coach include Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell and Baylor head coach Dave Aranda.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

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Coaching Carousel: The lack of an LSU move could be telling

Could the next LSU coach be on the sidelines this weekend?

The name we heard most over the last week was Lincoln Riley, felt like it could happen. As we all saw, USC landed the former Oklahoma coach which begs the question, what is going on down on the Bayou?

Mike Bohn and the USC administration kept everything close to the vest. Very similar to the feeling we get from Scott Woodward and LSU. The date we circled for the first opportunity to make a hire on Nov. 28. With no movement on that front, is that telling for the future of the Tigers? If they didn’t make a move, is that because they aren’t moving forward because of championship weekend?

Potential candidates coaching this weekend

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Mario Cristobal, Oregon

The first name we will discuss is Cristobal, who has his Oregon Ducks playing in the Pac-12 Championship game against the Utah Utes. A rematch from just two weeks ago.

Luke Fickell, Cincinnati

Fickell is a name that was thrown around early on, many thought he would be in the running for USC. Could he take a serious look at LSU following their championship game against Houston?

Dave Aranda, Baylor

The loss by Oklahoma sent Baylor into the Big 12 Championship. That allowed USC to pounce and bring Riley to Los Angeles, could LSU pounce after the weekend with former defensive coordinator Dave Aranda?

Just some food for thought. If the LSU Tigers haven’t made a decision, it could be due to the fact that coaches won’t entertain any conversations with Woodward and LSU until after this weekend’s slate of games.

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Report: Dave Aranda to get a new deal to stay with Baylor

Looks like Dave Aranda is close to being off the table for the Tigers.

And another one bites the dust, allegedly.

After hearing of new contracts for James Franklin at Penn State and Mel Tucker at Michigan State, the pool of available head coaches is dwindling for Scott Woodward and LSU. It feels as though the Tigers opening is getting plenty of head coaches paid to not be the next guy on the Bayou.

Step right up Dave Aranda. It felt like the former defensive coordinator could find his way back to the Bayou to replace his former boss, however, reports state that he will stay in Waco, Texas. According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports and Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated, a new deal could be close.

That certainly throws another wrench into the plans in a coaching search full of wrenches being thrown. If Aranda does indeed stay put, where does the LSU administration turn to next? Klatt seems to think it should be Matt Campbell. Down the road in Lafayette, there is a coach that should be under strong consideration in Billy Napier.

Do they make yet another run at Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma or their opponent on Saturday with Jimbo Fisher? He will already be in town so why not shoot your shot again Scott Woodward? A name that picked up steam again lately was Bill O’Brien but the interest seems one-sided. What about Mark Stoops? His name keeps getting thrown in the mix but I sincerely doubt they would pay a buyout of $20 million for Stoops. Good coach but that is a huge investment before even paying the coach.

A lot to unpack over the next several days.

Two Big 12 games could impact the LSU Tigers head coaching search

Should AD Scott Woodward have his eyes on the Big 12 title race this weekend?

As the final slate of games arrives for college football in week 13 there is a lot on the line for many teams. Conference championship games, college football seeding, and even head coach interviews.

With so much attention being on the next LSU Tigers head coach, there are two games that could have massive implications for athletic director Scott Woodward. Teams in contention and still playing for a conference title won’t be interviewing for a head coaching position.

A pair of games in the Big 12 Conference could determine if the Tigers have to wait yet another week to interview some of these names. We start down in Waco, Texas.

Texas Tech at Baylor

Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Baylor Bears and Dave Aranda will play their final regular-season game at home at McLane Stadium. They host the Texas Tech Red Raiders and are looking for redemption from last year in which a late field goal from Jonathan Garibay send Baylor home with a loss. That isn’t an important detail, what is important is the outcome of the game.

Aranda and the No. 9 ranked Baylor Bears will kick their game off at 11:00 a.m. CT. Provided they win, and they should as 14.5 point favorites the pressure will then be on Oklahoma. A loss removes Baylor from any shot at a Big 12 title game and opens up the schedule to interview for an opening, such as LSU. A win and all eyes will immediately turn to the state of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State

Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman

Much like the Bears will have eyes on the Bedlam with Oklahoma State hosting their biggest rivals, the Oklahoma Sooners, many will watch Tech and Baylor. If the Bears lose then this game doesn’t matter in terms of who plays in the Big 12 Championship. However, neither one of these teams will mail it in for that scenario due to what is on the line.

On Tuesday the College Football Playoff rankings were released. Oklahoma State was the highest-ranked Big 12 team coming in at No. 7 and Oklahoma is No. 10. If Oklahoma wins this game then they will move up and have an outside shot at the CFP. Their lone loss came to No. 9 Baylor. However, Oklahoma State has a good shot being No. 7 already. Wins over Oklahoma twice or the Sooners and Bears help their case.

The key here isn’t the seeding but what could come of the game. If the game is Baylor vs Oklahoma State next week in Arlington, Texas, does that put a potential interview on the table for Woodward with Lincoln Riley? His name has been brought up recently and it’s very likely he doesn’t leave Norman. The thing to remember is timing is everything.

If the title game is Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State in round two, then that would open up Aranda for interviews with LSU and likely USC. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Florida and AD Scott Stricklin come calling.

Plenty of action to pay attention to outside of Baton Rouge as the race for the Big 12 Championship comes to a head on Saturday.

Is the clock ticking on the search for the next LSU Tigers head coach?

Is the clock ticking on LSU?

One major domino fell in the 2022 coaching carousel. Penn State’s James Franklin had been a man in the news time and time again. His name had been linked to the LSU Tigers, USC Trojans, and the Florida Gators search. On Tuesday his name was officially taken off all three lists when he agreed to a 10-year extension with the Nittany Lions.

Early reports indicated that LSU reached out to Franklin’s representation but the meeting didn’t go well. While that could be completely fabricated, it could also be completely true. Discerning between actual news and agent-driven discussions can be difficult during a search for a head coach. After all, they are trying to get their clients more money, being linked to LSU has given Franklin and Mel Tucker new deals. Tucker has yet to officially sign his extension.

Could the Franklin news have an impact on what Scott Woodward is doing down on the Bayou? Yes and no. It felt like if Franklin left Penn State it was going to be for the West Coast. I even went as far as predicted that would happen, but the news ended that thought. Where do the Trojans turn now? Former LSU assistant Dave Aranda is a name that is being discussed in his home state.

The Aranda decision could factor into what the Tigers are doing if they start working down their list after missing out on the names such as Jimbo Fisher, Lincoln Riley, Mel Tucker. You could see a scenario where the move could start a ripple effect across the landscape. With Franklin out, the Trojans could get aggressive with Aranda. That takes another name out of the running. The Gators could then go get Billy Napier.

In this scenario, two names linked to LSU are off the table. No one expects Fisher or Tucker to leave their posts. Does that mean that Woodward would up the pressure on a decision from Lincoln Riley? Does he call Bob Stoops? Does that put more emphasis on a guy like Matt Campbell?

Adding to the urgency in filling these jobs is the December early signing period. These schools would prefer not to miss out on a recruiting cycle. Worse, should their next coach have his current team in the College Football Playoff, they would be looking at an even more truncated February signing period.

The clock is ticking for Woodward, and the longer it ticks, the more the pressure mounts on him. – John Marcase, The Daily Advertiser

One shouldn’t believe this will be a rushed decision, that always seems to lead to regret down the road. Whether that regret comes in a year or two or three. We will continue to monitor the situation as more details become available.

Which job is better: LSU Tigers Wire and Gators Wire chime in

Rivals on the field, and now rivals in the head coaching search?

LSU Tigers vs Florida Gators. These two teams battle it out on the field every season but now the two could be battling it out in their head coaching search.

Dan Mullen was relieved of his duties as head coach following the loss to Missouri. Ironically enough, one of the teams that defeated Mullen led to the separation agreement between LSU and head coach Ed Orgeron, Kentucky.

With both schools searching for their next head coach, Tyler Nettuno of Gators Wire joined us in a special ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ as we discuss both coaching searches.

Which school is the better job? Who has the better athletic director? Who ultimately winds up as the head coach?

Senior Bowl executive director believes LSU would make a mistake to let Billy Napier leave

Would it be a mistake to let Billy Napier leave the Bayou?

As the LSU Tigers search feels like it is coming to a close, everyone has an opinion on the matter. The names being mentioned are Dave Aranda, Billy Napier, and Matt Campbell, more often than not.

We have profiled both Aranda and Napier. Both coaches have ties to the area. Napier being the head coach of UL-Lafayette since 2018 and Aranda was the defensive coordinator for LSU from 2016-19. The latter helped lead the Tigers to a national championship along with Joe Burrow and Joe Brady. Napier has compiled a record of 31-4 over the last three seasons in the state of Louisiana.

With the Florida Gators’ recent firing of Dan Mullen, it seems a new contender has entered the ring for the possibility of hiring Napier. If you ask the Senior Bowl’s executive director Jim Nagy, it would be a mistake to let him leave the state.

Napier was recently named one of the possible candidates by our colleagues at Gators Wire, along with multiple reports stating there is interest in the Ragin Cajuns’ head coach. Nagy is correct on the relationships with coaches in the state of Louisiana, however, LSU recruits itself as the only Power Five school in the state. It could create a pipeline into the state for Florida.

Could Florida and athletic director Scott Stricklin be the ones who finally convince him to leave the Bayou and head to the Swamp?

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