Tag: Joe Sloan

Report: LSU hiring veteran offensive assistant to analyst role

Todd Fitch has spent the last three years at Ohio State but previously worked with Joe Sloan at Louisiana Tech.

LSU will have a pair of new offensive play-callers in up-and-coming staffers [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag]. To help out that group, it seems Brian Kelly is bringing in an industry veteran.

The Tigers are reportedly set to hire Ohio State offensive analyst [autotag]Todd Fitch[/autotag] to the same position, where he’ll work with LSU’s quarterback room. The news was first reported by The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander.

Fitch has spent the last three seasons with the Buckeyes after a stint at Vanderbilt, where he was the offensive coordinator and later interim head coach during the 2020 season.

The 60-year-old has been a journeyman assistant with a number of programs dating back to 1986, and that includes a stint working with Sloan at Louisiana Tech, where they were co-offensive coordinators together in 2019 before Fitch left for Nashville.

Fitch also coached in the SEC at South Carolina from 1999-03, and he’s 0-1 in his career as a head coach.

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LSU Spring Football Outlook: How do Tigers replace Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. at WR?

With two of the most productive receivers in the nation moving on, what does LSU still have at the position heading into 2024?

Spring practice is the first real sign we’re moving away from 2023 and heading for the 2024 season.

At LSU, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is just a few weeks away from his third spring practice with the Tigers.

Throughout the spring, I’ll be taking a look at how LSU stacks up at every position. There’s still plenty to figure out at this point, some of which we’ll learn in the spring, but we know where LSU stands personnel-wise at these spots.

Now, we move on to the wide receiver position. LSU finds itself in an intriguing spot with [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] gone. Let’s see what [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] have to work with in 2024.

LSU Spring Football Outlook: Quarterbacks

Here’s where LSU QB room stands heading into spring practice.

Spring practice is the first real sign we’re moving away from 2023 and heading for the 2024 season.

At LSU, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is just a few weeks away from his third spring practice with the Tigers.

Throughout the spring, I’ll be taking a look at how LSU stacks up at every position. There’s still plenty to figure out at this point, some of which we’ll learn in the spring, but we know where LSU stands personnel-wise at these spots.

Today, we’ll start with the quarterback position. LSU likes what it has in [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], who sits seventh in preseason Heisman odds. But let’s take a look at what to expect from LSU’s new QB1 and the rest of the room.

On3 lists Garrett Nussmeier as a breakout star in 2024

On3’s JD Pickell has high hopes for Garrett Nussmeier in 2024.

With [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] off to the NFL, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is set to be LSU’s next starting quarterback.

Nussmeier’s time has been long awaited and highly anticipated. He’s played sparingly his first three years in Baton Rouge but has 1,720 yards and 11 touchdowns under his belt.

Now taking over the full-time role, the hopes are high. On3’s JD Pickell agrees.

“If he’s guilty of anything, it’s loving to sling that football downfield,” Pickell said.

With LSU’s talent at wide receiver and [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] taking over at offensive coordinator, Pickell expects the offense to look similar to what it was last year.

“Dude can sling it. I want to make sure you leave this segment knowing that,” Pickell said.

“I think you’ll see that offense continue to churn at a really high level,” he added.

Nussmeier led LSU to a win in the bowl game, throwing for 395 yards and three touchdowns, including leading a game-winning 98-yard touchdown drive.

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5 ways LSU’s offense could look different in 2024

Here are five changes that could come to LSU’s offense in 2024.

The LSU offense will undergo some changes this year.

LSU has new playcallers, with [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] stepping up as co-OCs after [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] left for Notre Dame.

Top contributors are gone too, with [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] off to the NFL and [autotag]Logan Diggs[/autotag] transferring to Ole Miss.

There’s a lot of optimism about what [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] can do at QB, but he’s a different player than Daniels. He won’t have any games where he rushes for 200 yards.

LSU’s style of play is going to be different, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be worse. Here are five things that could look different in 2024.

Here are the Top 10 college football recruiters ahead of the 2024 season

With National Signing Day finished for the 2024 cycle, here are the top college football recruiters who have made a name for themselves.

With the conclusion of National Signing Day last week, the 2024 recruiting cycle is complete, as every program is focused on spring football and building their respective 2025 cycle heading into the summer.

Looking deeper into the vast and complicated recruiting world, it seems that, on the surface, head coaches receive more credit for landing top prospects than the staff that surround them, but that can’t be further from the truth.

For example, former Texas A&M HC Jimbo Fisher’s elite 2022 recruiting class, especially concerning the defensive prospects, was primarily due to the work of assistant coaches Elijah Robinson and the late Terry Price, while Robinson has now transitioned to Syracuse as the program’s new defensive coordinator.

For new Aggies head coach Mike Elko, several new staff members, including Holmon Wiggins (WR coach), Ishmael Aristide (CB coach), and Trooper Taylor (RB coach), have helped secure A&M’s 16th-ranked 2024 cycle, culminating with the signing of long time commit, 5-star athlete Terry Bussey.

Looking at the entire college football coaching landscape to nail down the best recruiters in 2024, 247Sports ranked the Top 10 assistant coaches who deserve such credit.

Brian Kelly elaborates on roles for co-offensive coordinators Joe Sloan, Cortez Hankton

Joe Sloan will call the plays, but Brian Kelly said Cortez Hankton will still have a “major role.”

LSU will have a new offensive play-caller in 2024 after previous offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] left the Tigers to return to Notre Dame in the same role.

Rather than bring in an outside candidate, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] opted to promote from within. Quarterbacks coach [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and receivers coach/passing game coordinator [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] were tabbed as the interim co-offensive coordinators for the ReliaQuest Bowl, and Kelly recently removed the “interim” tag from both their titles.

Visiting Senior Bowl practice on Thursday, where former LSU players [autotag]Charles Turner[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] are participating, Kelly spoke to the media and addressed the roles those two coaches would occupy.

Sloan will be the primary play-caller, though Hankton will also have a “major role” Kelly said per On3’s Matthew Brune.

“Joe will take the chief responsibilities and certainly be the play caller,” Kelly said. “Cortez will have a major role as well but at the end of the day if you don’t like the play call you can see me or you can see Joe. I think we’ll have a clear delineation in terms of the roles. Both of them are outstanding. Joe will be the play caller, he’ll handle the quarterbacks and I think it’ll be a team approach. We’ve got great coaches. [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] does a great job with the offensive line, [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag], Cortez certainly, [autotag]Slade Nagle[/autotag] is an experienced offensive coordinator from Tulane who’s done great things and gives us an experienced play caller as well. I think we’re gonna lean on the group and Joe will get the lead in play calling.”

Both Sloan and Hankton are key recruiters for the Tigers, and keeping them on staff was a must, especially with the makings of an elite 2025 class. Now, we have some clarity on how the roles will be separated between the pair.

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LSU’s Brian Kelly and Joe Sloan visit 2025 QB commit Bryce Underwood ahead of dead period

LSU is making sure everything is a-OK with its prized commit in the 2025 class.

A dead period will begin with high school recruiting on Feb. 5 and runs until March 3. During that time, coaches are not permitted to contact prospects.

Before that begins, however, both LSU head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] flew up to Michigan to check in on its prized commitment in the 2025 class, No. 1 overall prospect quarterback [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag].

The Belleville, Michigan, prospect would be the highest-rated player the Tigers have ever signed if they can close things out with him, and they’ll hope this visit made an impact.

It’s significant that both Kelly and Sloan would make the trip. Sloan was Underwood’s primary recruiter as LSU’s quarterbacks coach, and his duties were recently expanded to include offensive play-calling. Kelly making the trip also shows just how much of a priority Underwood is viewed as.

With Underwood and several other elite commits, LSU’s class currently ranks as the best in the country per On3.

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LSU’s Frank Wilson ranked as a top five recruiter in 2024 cycle

LSU’s Frank Wilson was one of the top recruiters in the country this cycle.

When [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was hired at LSU, one of the first things he did was bring back running backs coach [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag].

Wilson was at LSU from 2010-15. During that time, he was one of the top running backs coaches and recruiters in the country.

Wilson is doing more of the same in his second tenure, ranking as the fourth-best recruiter in the country, according to 247Sports.

Some of LSU’s top recruits can be attributed to Wilson, including five-star defensive tackle [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] and four-star running back [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag].

Wilson is credited as the primary recruiter on nine of LSU’s commits, with five of them ranking as blue-chips.

Quarterbacks coach [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] is also looking to finish off a strong cycle, currently ranking as the 10th best recruiter in the country.

Looking ahead to the 2025 class, Wilson is off to another hot start and currently ranks as the top recruiter in the country next cycle.

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Falcons request to interview newly promoted LSU co-offensive coordinator Cortez Hankton

Cortez Hankton was recently given the title of co-offensive coordinator along with quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan.

LSU has finally completed its 2024 coaching staff, but we could potentially be in for one more surprise.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Atlanta Falcons have requested permission to interview [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag], who was recently promoted to the role of co-offensive coordinator at LSU.

Hankton is being considered for the open offensive coordinator job under new coach Raheem Morris, the former defensive coordinator of the Rams who was hired by Atlanta on Thursday. In addition to his new role with the Tigers, Hankton also serves as the receivers coach and had passing game coordinator duties prior to his promotion this offseason.

It would make some sense for Hankton, who has ties to the area after spending several seasons on staff at Georgia.

Were Hankton to ultimately leave, fellow co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] would likely receive the sole title, but that would create yet another opening on the coaching staff, which already had to replace most of the on-field defensive assistants as well as previous offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag], who left for the same role at Notre Dame.

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