After months (years?) of waiting, the end of the Mike Norvell era is finally here.
And so, rampant speculation can finally begin to turn into some more substantive buzz surrounding who will become Florida State football’s 14th full-time head coach.
We’ll get more real reporting and details over the next few days and weeks. For now, here’s our 1.0 version of the hot board of candidates to take over the Seminoles at a critical moment in the program’s history.
Manny Diaz, Duke Head Coach
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
He’s got real ties to the
program. Diaz is an FSU grad who started his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Bobby Bowden in 1998-99 and was part of the 1999 national title staff. He’s a Miami native, which still matters for recruiting in this state, especially in South Florida. After getting fired at Miami, he went to Penn State, put together strong defenses, then took the Duke job and has actually delivered with back-to-back nine-win seasons, an outright ACC title in 2025 and a Sun Bowl win.
Defensively he’s been good for a long time as a coordinator (Miami, Penn State, and earlier stops). At 52 he’s not ancient, and he’s already coached in the ACC as both a head coach and coordinator. He is one of few coaches who has rebuilt his reputation after a rough head-coaching stop, that kind of comeback story is what people love to see. Duke’s recent success under him shows he can win in the conference, and his South Florida background gives him a natural recruiting inroad that a lot of outside candidates wouldn’t have. Plus, anyone who has watched Florida State football the past season knows how bad the defense has been. Having a defensive-minded head coach could provide a big boost there.
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
Diaz was not particularly well-liked in Miami by the end. The early energy and “The New Miami” stuff was big when he first got the job, but the results never fully matched the hype, and a lot of people in South Florida were happy to move on when Miami fired him after three seasons with a 21-15 record. That history doesn’t just disappear, and it raises the question of whether the same issues that showed up in Miami would show up again at a higher-pressure job.
He also just signed an extension at Duke in April which runs through the 2031 season. Buying him out won’t be cheap — which is something FSU is probably looking for when factoring in its own buyout it is paying — and he’s in a good spot right now. Recruiting at Duke has improved, but FSU needs consistent high-level classes, not just solid ones. Whether he can scale that up, hire the right offensive staff, and handle the pressure and expectations that come with this job is still an open question. Rising stock is nice, but it also means other schools could be interested, and after finding something that works at Duke he might not be in a rush to leave a stable situation for a rebuild. The last time he was a head coach at a Florida school the results were uneven, and the game has only gotten harder since then. -Tony Morris
Glenn Schumann, Georgia Defensive Coordinator
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
Could Schumann be the next Kirby Smart? Smart spent nine seasons working under Nick Saban and as his star rose, it became clear that Smart only had eyes for the Georgia job. Once it opened, he finally made the move, bringing Schumann (who was the director of football operations for Bama after spending time as a grad assistant) along with him as the first coach he hired. Schumann is now in his 11th season at Georgia, having worked his way up from inside linebackers coach to co-defensive coordinator (alongside Dan Lanning and later Will Muschamp) and finally to the sole DC role in 2024. Could his eyes be set on a job like Florida State? The timing could be perfect to make the move. Schumann has been part of six national championship teams at Alabama and Georgia, and his time under Nick Saban and Smart has primed him for a head coaching job. He wouldn’t command a major salary but wouldn’t come cheap, either.
Under Schumann’s guidance as the sole defensive coordinator, Georgia’s defense ranked 10th in the nation in 2025 and 23rd nationally in 2024. In 2023, Georgia ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense (15.6 points per game) and topped the country in third-down-conversion defense (25.7%). From 2019-2022, Georgia led the nation in combined scoring defense (13.6 points per game) and rushing defense (75.7 yards per game) while ranking second in total defense. Schumann has been an integral part of that success, and we haven’t even touched on his recruiting chops yet.
Schumann is an elite recruiter, plain and simple. He’s played a significant role in landing 13 five-star recruits and dozens of four-star prospects, the vast majority of whom were victories over other top programs in the nation. He’s beaten FSU head to head for players such as Nakobe Dean, Raylen Wilson, Daylen Everette and Channing Tindall, and he knows the recruiting rigors in states like Georgia and Florida like the back of his hand. How about as a developer? Since becoming Georgia’s inside linebackers position coach in 2016, he’s produced an incredible three Butkus Award winners (given to the nation’s best linebacker): Roquan Smith (2017), Nakobe Dean (2021), and Jalon Walker (2024).
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
All of the accolades above look great, right? But then … why is he still at Georgia?
Smart and Schumann are intertwined a great deal and many folks (myself included) think Smart deserves the lion’s share of credit for Georgia’s outstanding defenses in the early 2020s. It’s always a major gamble when you hire a coordinator working under a head coach who specializes on the same side of the ball. College football history is littered with coordinators who left the shadows of their bosses for head coaching positions, only to return to the shadows a few seasons later because they couldn’t hack it in the head coach’s seat. If indeed the Georgia defenses were primary products of Smart (and Lanning as co-DC), would Schumann be able to replicate those heights on his own? Schumann is only 36 years old, so what kind of staff would he be able to assemble? Moving from a situation like Georgia to a situation like FSU may not be appealing for more established assistant coaches and Schumann isn’t exactly well-traveled enough to have a big book of potential staff hires.
Another interesting caveat is how Georgia fans currently feel about Schumann. Suffice it to say, he isn’t too popular in Athens. Every program’s fanbase chooses a scapegoat on the assistant coaching staff when things aren’t going right. Schumann seems to be that guy for Dawg faithful. Have things just gotten stale? Has he become complacent? Eleven seasons coaching the same unit is an eternity in contemporary college football landscape. Would a change of scenery help, or would it be a harbinger of things to come under a first-time head coach? -NoleThruandThru
Jimbo Fisher, ACCN analyst
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
For at least a portion of the FSU fanbase, Fisher is the clear favorite for the job now that Norvell is gone. It’s not entirely surprising. He’s the last guy to win a national title in Tallahassee, went 83-23, won three straight ACC titles, the 2013 national championship and led the Seminoles to a 29-game winning streak. Those years were when FSU was a blue-blood and a real powerhouse year after year had older fans reminiscing to the Bobby Bowden era. A lot of people who checked out over the last few seasons could come back for that version of the program.
He also recruited at a level FSU hasn’t touched since he left. Even his weaker full classes at FSU and Texas A&M ranked right around where the Seminoles’ best classes have been in the years after. He knows Florida, he knows the program and recent reporting says he’s actively making it known he wants the job back. If the goal is getting boosters and alumni who have dismissed the team after the past few seasons to re-engage and get excited about FSU football again, Fisher is the guy who moves that needle the fastest.
The money piece is practical too, which is key for Florida State. Texas A&M is still paying him roughly $7.2 million a year through 2031 from that massive buyout. He’s not starting from zero financially, which could make a lower salary more realistic and free up money for the roster and staff. At 61, he’s been out of coaching for three seasons but has stayed around the game. For a fan base that has been waiting for something that feels like a real reset, this is the name that generates the most immediate buy-in.
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
The exit was a complete and utter mess. He left in 2017 after a 5-6 season with a lot of hard feelings still floating around. Some fans and boosters never really got over how it ended and the way it went down. Leaving midseason for Texas A&M after years of tension still resonates with people. At A&M, he had elite resources and recruiting classes and still only went 45-25 with one top-15 finish and no SEC title game appearance before getting fired in 2023. That’s a lot of money and a lot of talent for a résumé that mostly says “pretty good, not great.”
The bigger issue is how much the sport has changed since he last coached. He was fired in November 2023. Since then, the transfer portal has turned into a year-round free agency, the world of NIL and revunue sharing have gotten more sophisticated (and more expensive) and the rules around roster construction keep shifting under everyone’s feet. The version of college football he was operating in even at the end of his A&M tenure already looks dated compared to what programs are dealing with now. Three years away from the headset is a long time in a game that doesn’t sit still. Some of the assistants who helped him win at FSU have coached for three different schools since he left Tallahassee. Building a staff that actually wants to come to the current version of FSU and can navigate the portal and NIL the way the top programs do is not automatic just because he led a program well a decade ago. Especially with how impatient the FSU fanbase will be.
There’s also the practical side of trying to get the offense and quarterback development back to a high level. The last time he developed to an elite level was Jameis Winston. The game has sped up and the talent evaluation has changed. Nostalgia is powerful, sure, but so is the memory of how things looked when he left and the reality of how much the landscape has moved since 2023. Whether it’s the right move right now is a different conversation, and the last time he was here the program was already trending the wrong way by the end. It’s like my dad used to say, “Just because it worked once doesn’t mean it’s gonna work again.” -Tony Morris
Jake Dickert, Wake Forest Head Coach
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
The dude can coach. He had a winning record in four seasons at Washington State — including 8-4 as essentially an FBS independent in 2024. The state of the Cougars since he left (a one-and-done season by Jimmy Rogers before he bolted to Iowa State and Kirby Moore’s 1-7 debut season this year) shows how hard it is to win at WSU in this modern era.
He then immediately improved Wake Forest’s fortunes upon his arrival in 2025. For as much praise as Dave Clawson (rightfully) gets for the job he did with the Demon Deacons, he had just one nine-plus-win season in 11 years at Wake and it took eight years to get there. Clawson went 9-4 in Year 1 and, with Wake Forest 7-1 (5-1 ACC) this season, he seems like a near-certainty that he’ll get there again in Year 2.
His team knocked off No. 14 Virginia last year, No. 16 Louisville this year and regularly gives more talented and better-funded teams all they can handle. A coach who has had success doing more with less would be a welcome change after the last few years of doing less with more under Norvell.
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
While he’s proven to be a good coach, his 2025 team lost 42-7 at Florida State. One could argue that result should be a disqualifier in its own right, fair or not.
Dickert has never coached at anything close to the FSU level. He played at the Division III level and his first 10 years in coaching were below the FBS level. He didn’t reach that tier until he was a safeties coach at Wyoming in 2017, where he stayed until 2019, parlayed that into Washington State, where he was promoted from defensive coordinator to interim head coach and then had the tag removed. As much as anyone on this list, the leap to a school of FSU’s caliber would be something brand new for Dickert. That’s not to say it would definitely go poorly but it would be a bit of a chance at a time where FSU can’t afford to take one.
It’s also fair to wonder if he’s a flashy enough hire to drive fundraising and interest at a time where FSU really needs both of those. It could work but again, it’s a chance. —Curt Weiler
Charles Huff, Memphis Head Coach
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
Huff will be among the hotter names this carousel cycle based on his ability to quickly rebuild struggling programs. His continuance of Memphis’ success in 2026 paired with the strong work he did at Southern Miss and Marshall has him on the rise. Memphis is firmly in the mix in the American Athletic Conference despite losing a lot of talent following former head coach Ryan Silverfield’s departure for Arkansas in the offseason. Huff worked miracles in Hattiesburg last season, taking over a 1-11 team completely bereft of talent in 2024 and delivering on a 7-5 season with a New Orleans Bowl appearance. Following his departure for Memphis, Southern Miss looks to be a double-digit loss team without Huff yet again. He is the only Marshall head coach to lead his team to four straight bowl games in his first four seasons and scored a memorable upset of then-eighth ranked Notre Dame in 2022.
Huff has a fiery sideline demeanor and his players are willing to run through walls for him. He is 5-1 in six season-opening games as a head coach, including a win this season for Memphis at UNLV, which was the first time in program history a Memphis team won a season-opener on the road under a new head coach (click here for more information on Huff’s preparation and philosophy). Perhaps he is even too passionate at times, as evidenced by his 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty in the opener, of which Huff said, “As you saw… I fight for my players, man. It probably cost me a 15-yard penalty. But these kids work too hard not to be fought for.”
Huff’s career record as a head coach is 44-27 in six seasons at Marshall, Southern Miss, and now Memphis (he coached current Seminoles linebacker Chris Jones at Southern Miss). He is an excellent recruiter and has primarily worked with running backs as a position coach but also has offensive line experience. Prior to his first head coaching gig at Marshall, he served as associate head coach and running backs coach for two seasons under Nick Saban at Alabama, where he developed consensus All-American Najee Harris. He also served as Penn State’s special teams coordinator and running backs coach for four seasons, developing consensus All-American Saquon Barkley. He’s also coached at Mississippi State, Western Michigan, Vanderbilt, Maryland, and the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
Huff certainly checks a lot of desirable boxes, but his name simply doesn’t carry the same excitement as other candidates. Would Florida State be willing to hire two Memphis head coaches in a row? It would be unfair to damper Huff’s prospects due to Mike Norvell’s failures but the question will be asked nonetheless. This would be Huff’s first power conference head coaching job, and some feel that his fiery demeanor is more emotional immaturity than calculated passion.
Huff’s assistant coach options aren’t ideal. His current assistant head coach and running backs coach? Telly Lockette. Yeah… that Telly Lockette, from the doomed Taggart Era in Tallahassee. His current defensive coordinator? Lance Guidry. Yeah… that Lance Guidry, who was fired by Miami two years ago after a complete defensive collapse. Huff does have Corey Phillips as his general manager, who was instrumental in Colorado’s roster construction during Deion Sanders’ first three years as head coach, but he’d need to have a strong pitch on upgrading his coordinator and assistant coach pool to have the kind of success FSU desires. -NoleThruandThru
Bryant Haines, Indiana Defensive Coordinator
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
Florida State will not be able to hire Curt Cignetti, but they can hire the next best thing. Haines has been on all four of Cignetti’s staffs for a total of 13 years (cue the comparisons of Kirby Smart and Nick Saban, right?), the last eight as a defensive coordinator. He is widely considered the best defensive coordinator in the Big Ten and was the recipient of the 2025 Broyles Award after back-to-back semifinalist honors, confirming him as the nation’s top assistant. Personally, Haines would be the first call I’d make (unless Will Stein or Bob Chesney somehow become legitimate targets).
Haines is a linebackers coach by trade and has churned out eight All-Americans in the past two seasons at Indiana, including the first Indiana defender to earn back-to-back All-America honors and the first Hoosiers linebacker to be named a first-team All-American. His units led the nation in rushing defense (80.2), finished second in total defense (256.34) and tenth in passing yards allowed (176.1). The 2025 season saw the Hoosiers defense finish second in both rushing defense (77.2) and scoring defense (11.7) and fourth in total defense (266.0). In each of his first four seasons at JMU (2019-23), the Dukes ranked top 10 nationally in total defense. In 2023, the Dukes owned the nation’s best rushing defense (61.5 ypg), which was bolstered by an FBS-best 9.1 tackles for loss per game. In 2022, JMU finished second in rushing yards allowed per game (79.5) and tackles for loss (8.6).
After three straight head coaching hires with offensive play-calling chops, it may be time to hire a defensive-minded leader. Who better than the 41-year old Haines, who has proven himself in spades at every level and is a reigning national champion?
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
Curt Cignetti coaches are extremely loyal, for good reason. Haines may well take a head coaching job this offseason, but could he realistically poach any of Indiana’s top coaching or off-field personnel to bring with him? That’s a significant question because Haines has basically been a lifer with Cignetti and doesn’t have the national network many other candidates will bring. Leaving an established, successful program in this era of college football for a reclamation project in a lesser conference would be a big gamble, even with a raise and for his first head coaching opportunity.
Recruiting also still matters in this era, and Haines doesn’t have the experience and networks in Florida and Georgia that are a necessity for Florida State’s success. He would need to hire a staff with significant recruiting ties. He can also afford to wait for job openings at programs with better resourcing and established (and functional) athletic administration. He will have no shortage of suitors. It kills me to think that FSU isn’t currently a premier job, but that’s where we are. -NoleThruandThru
Mike Shanahan, Indiana Offensive Coordinator
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
Staying in Bloomington but looking at the other side of the ball, Shanahan (no relation to the other Mike Shanahan) also seems primed to make the leap to running his own program soon. Curt Cignetti’s playcaller rewrote the Indiana record books on offense in his first season. Among the achievements? Most touchdowns scored (70), most points scored (537), and most 40-point games in a single season (8). Indiana ranked second nationally in scoring offense (41.3) and passing efficiency (174.3) and seventh in red zone offense among FBS programs. Shanahan also produced six all-conference wide receivers in four years at JMU, two of whom earned All-American status. If you want points, Shanahan knows how to deliver.
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
Many of the same things written about Haines apply to Shanahan as well regarding loyalty and multiple suitors, though Shanahan does have experience serving as recruiting coordinator at JMU for two seasons. The primary question that separates Shanahan’s candidacy from that of Haines is how much of the success on offense is due to Cignetti and how much is Shanahan? The latter certainly deserves most of the credit for his work developing wide receivers. Shanahan has been the primary playcaller for Cignetti since the 2021 season but Cignetti is a master at setting philosophy and culture. Can Shanahan do the same at his next stop? -NoleThruandThru
Jason Eck, New Mexico Head Coach
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
In a state with Jon Sumrall and Mario Cristobal, the Seminoles need a personality and someone to bring juice into the program. Eck would be just that. He understands the importance of social media and building relationships with the fans. He also understands how to win. The Wisconsin native went 26-13 with FCS Idaho before jumping to the FBS ranks and landing with New Mexico. In his first season in charge, he took the Lobos on the road to UCLA and beat the Bruins, 35-10. UNM finished 9-4, the Lobos’ first nine-win season since 2016, which was also the last time they had been bowl-eligible. For those who believe in the Curt Cignetti model of finding veteran head coaches who have won everywhere they have been, Eck fits that mold. He will not be the sexiest name, but the Noles do not need that now; they need someone who can win.
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
Winning games at the FCS and Group of Six level is one thing. Winning at the level FSU believes it should is entirely different. Coming to Tallahassee will be a brand-new world for the Eck, who is not from the South and has no southern ties. There will also be a question about whether the fan base will accept a low-level G6 hire as the next Florida State football coach. While Eck should not judged by his cover, one of the most important features of the next head coach will be someone to bring the fanbase together. Eck has the personality to do it, but can he get the fans to be open minded to welcome him? -Jordan Silversmith
Shannon Dawson, Miami (FL) Offensive Coordinator
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
Dawson has succeeded everywhere he’s been, including masterminding the offense that led Miami to the championship game in the 2025 playoffs. In his second season, Miami led the nation in points per game (43.9) and yards (537.2) and boasted a 3,000-yard passer (Cam Ward), a 1,000-yard receiver (Xavier Restrepo) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Damien Martinez). He was a finalist for the Broyles Award. His first season in Coral Gables saw the Canes offense jump to 25th in total offense (up from 85th in 2022), 22nd in yards per play (from 67th) and 35th in scoring offense (from 96th). Dawson’s offenses are built for playmakers and who wouldn’t want to be the next Malachi Toney?
Dawson spent three years at Houston as QBs coach (including two as the offensive coordinator) prior to Miami. Under his tutelage, Houston quarterbacks combined to throw 87 touchdown passes (13th nationally) behind a 65.3 completion percentage (19th nationally) and 10,008 passing yards (21st nationally). Dawson also had successful stints at Southern Miss and West Virginia, and even spent three seasons learning under Hal Mumme earlier in his career.
Landing a great quarterback from the transfer portal has become a necessity, and Dawson may have the best resume of anyone in the country on that account. He has recruiting relationships throughout the state of Florida. It’s only a matter of time until Dawson takes a head coaching role, and hiring a prolific offensive mind while simultaneously weakening a premier rival may be very appealing to FSU, as he would likely take some personnel from Miami with him.
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
All of the aforementioned success has come as an offensive coordinator, so it remains to be seen how Dawson would do with all of the additional responsibilities a head coach must manage. He would almost certainly retain play-calling responsibilities and would be the fourth straight offensive play-calling head coach FSU has hired. It may be time to pivot to a defensive-minded head coach at Florida State, and Dawson would not make a move to Tallahassee as a coordinator.
It pains me to say it, but Dawson has a great gig in Coral Gables and can afford to wait for better openings at schools with stable administrative leadership. A complete rebuild may not appeal to him and he might opt to hold out for a position in the SEC or Big Ten to ensure he’ll be better resourced and have better at-large odds at the College Football Playoff than he would at Florida State does in the ACC for the foreseeable future. -NoleThruandThru
Kade Bell, Pittsburgh Offensive Coordinator
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
Considered one of the top young offensive minds in college football, Bell has left his mark at multiple stops during his climb in the coaching ranks. In his three years at Pitt, Bell has transformed the passing offense and developed the young quarterback talent for the Panthers. Prior to Pittsburgh, Bell oversaw the offense for the Western Carolina Catamounts. In his final season calling plays in FCS (2023), Bell led Western Carolina to the top total offense in the entire subdivision (504.1 ypg). He has coached at several places under his father, Kerwin Bell, but has also succeeded away from his father in Pittsburgh.
A fresh mind/set of eyes leading the offense in Tallahassee would be welcomed by fans. Bell also has coaching and playing experience in the South, specifically Jacksonville University, where he played his college ball before the football program was shuttered. Bell is estimated to be paid in the top-third of all ACC offensive coordinators. His estimated salary is roughly $1 million a year, a number that FSU could easily surpass while he’s still likely to be one of the cheaper realistic head-coach hires.
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
I think it really comes down to one area: head coaching experience. While Bell could certainly lean into the wisdom and experience of his father, he has yet to be the head coach at a college program and would be among the youngest candidates anywhere at 33 years old. Florida State’s leadership may lean more into the safe, experienced bucket rather than new and exciting. -TimScribble
Willie Simmons, FIU Head Coach
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
Simmons would definitely be a fallback candidate but with the current state of FSU’s finances and the recent failures on the field, top (or even mid-tier) candidates aren’t by any means a lock to accept the job, particularly with the uncertainty around the administrative side of things. That being said, if Florida State strikes out on its candidates with better bona fides, it could still do a lot worse than Simmons. He had a career record of 73-30 entering the 2026 season and has never had a losing season in his nine-year career as a head coach. A native of Quincy, Florida, the 46-year old Simmons is also a two-time HBCU National Championship winner at FAMU.
In his first year, Simmons produced one of FIU’s best seasons in program history with a 7-6 record, first bowl berth since 2019 and a program-record 14 All-Conference USA selections, including the CUSA Offensive Player of the Year. The real magic, though? Right down the road in Tallahassee. In the five seasons prior to Simmons’ FAMU tenure, FAMU went 14-43. During his five seasons in charge, FAMU essentially reversed those numbers into a 45-13 record, two HBCU National Championships, and four straight Top 25 rankings. Simmons won back-to-back AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year honors in 2022 and 2023 and was named the 2023 SWAC Coach of the Year.
Beyond Simmons’ coaching chops, Fisher is the only other candidate who has such connections to FSU and intimate knowledge of Tallahassee. In addition to growing up in Quincy and his time at FAMU, Simmons played at Clemson under Tommy Bowden and coached one year as a graduate assistant for the Tigers after spending the 2005 season as Lincoln High School’s pass game coordinator and QB coach. He also spent five seasons at Middle Tennessee State under FSU quarterback (and current analyst) Rick Stockstill. Simmons has strong local relationships that could pay dividends on the recruiting trail quickly.
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
As strong as his connections are to Tallahassee and as successful as he’s been thus far, Simmons just isn’t a name that would excite the Seminole fan base. He’s reached great heights at lower competition levels but has never been an assistant coach at a power conference aside from his year-long stint as Duke’s run game coordinator/running backs coach in 2024. He hasn’t won big at FIU yet (it wasn’t a reclamation project like FAMU was) and he doesn’t have a staff of coordinators and assistants who would make waves at the level FSU needs. At 46 years old, he hasn’t had as much longevity as other candidates, which is a big deal when making hires to fill out a staff.
Simmons would be a name that might gain more excitement and traction as an offensive coordinator/assistant head coach type of hire, but there is no evidence he’d be interested in such a role. He’d be able to leverage strong relationships on the trail both locally and in South Florida. As a head coach, though, this would be a hire made due to being turned down by others and/or financial constraints. -NoleThruandThru
Blake Baker, LSU Defensive Coordinator
WHY IT MAKES SENSE:
One of Lane Kiffin’s biggest recruiting wins after he bolted Ole Miss for LSU wasn’t a high-school prospect, but the Tigers’ incumbent defensive coordinator. Blake Baker had multiple coordinator and head-coaching roles open to him last offseason, but Kiffin kept him. It’s been a weird season for the Tigers, and that certainly applies to the defensive side of the ball, even without standout linebacker Whit Weeks. Baker’s unit shut out Mississippi State without Kamario Taylor Oct. 17, but Kentucky lit it up the week before. The same happened at the start of the season: LSU dismantled Clemson, then had no answer for Ole Miss. Even if this season has been weird, Baker’s track record is not. LSU finished 23rd in the country in total defense in 2025 and developed Mansoor Delane into a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Before LSU, he helped Missouri go 11-2 in 2023 before heading to Baton Rouge. He also has deep Southern ties, with stints at Miami and Louisiana Tech, and at Texas as a graduate assistant after he played linebacker at Tulane. As far as Power Four up-and-coming coordinators go, Baker should near at the top of any list.
WHY IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE:
Baker’s name may be better than the results on paper. His intricate defense can take a new group of players a couple of seasons to fully grasp, and time will not be on his side. He has also had some poor statistical seasons as DC, such as LSU ranking 60th in total defense in 2024, and it remains to be seen how LSU will finish the 2026 season after a rocky start. Then there are questions about Baker’s fit in Tallahassee. He has never been a head coach before, and he’ll be asked to turn around every aspect of the Seminoles’ program. This job could call for a veteran name rather than someone with only one specialty. Many would assume Baker would accept the job if offered, but would he be loyal to Kiffin and his home state of Louisiana? Baker went to Tulane, and his wife is from the state as well. Baker will receive head-coaching offers this offseason, but it won’t be a sure thing, even if the name value is there. -Jordan Silversmith
