By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
They are not dead men walking, but they will be fired men coaching.
LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis, wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton and tight ends coach Alex Atkins have seen their replacements hired by new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin. But all three plan to be coaching the Tigers (7-5, 3-5 Southeastern Conference) in the Texas Bowl against No. 21 Houston (9-3, 6-3 Big 12) on Dec. 27 (8:15 p.m., ESPN) in Houston.
Practices begin Thursday at LSU for the bowl.
Interim coach Frank Wilson will be the head coach for that game, but after that he does not know his future at LSU. Defensive line coach Kyle Williams is also likely out of a job after one season with the Tiges as Kiffin may hire Syracuse defensive line coach Elijah Robinson for that post.
5 Former Ole Miss assistant football coaches signed to be LSU assistants under Lane Kiffin will coach Rebels in playoffs in Work/Release program:https://t.co/KIdn5abhoo
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) December 9, 2025
“No,” Wilson said Monday on a Texas Bowl zoom teleconference with reporters when asked if he had received any clarity on his future at LSU after the bowl.
“That isn’t something that, I mean we’ve had conversations,” he said. “But for me and for coach Kiffin, it’s, ‘Let’s play this game on the 27th, and we’ll go into those details later.’ We just want to finish what we started with this football team – the team of 2025.”
Wilson, who entered his fourth consecutive season at LSU in 2025 as the associate head coach and running backs coach under head Brian Kelly, replaced the fired Kelly on Oct. 26 as interim coach. He has guided the Tigers to a 2-2 mark since and helped maintain LSU’s 2026 signing class with Kiffin through the early signing period last week.
“Give them our undivided attention before transition happens,” Wilson said. “Until then, nothing will necessarily happen in that regard. There’ll be opportunity there. Where that lies I’m not sure. But the priority is our current football team.”
Wilson is an assistant on a staff that saw its head coach get fired for the second time. He was running backs and special teams coach at Ole Miss under Ed Orgeron, who was fired after the 2007 season. Wilson landed at Southern Mississippi as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator.
“You know, I’ve done it before, so it’s not totally strange for me individually,” Wilson said. “There’s a 2025 football team that I’ve been a part of – we’ve been a part of since inception at the beginning of this season that has one more game to finish. And so that’s very natural for us, because of my relationship with coach Kiffin – it allows us to have smooth transition, interaction in the building. So, excited about the future for LSU. Coach Kiffin will do a great job here. There’s great harmony amongst and co-existing with all of us in in the building, because we’re all pulling for LSU. So, honestly it’s been very smooth for us.”
In essence, LSU coach Lane Kiffin will call Ole Miss plays in playoff opener, as he is sending offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. back to Ole Miss to be OC during playoffs. Weis called Ole Miss plays in 2025, but in Kiffin’s likeness and to his liking.https://t.co/xHqqrtONy5
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) December 2, 2025
None of the new assistants Kiffin has hired will be coaching during bowl preparations or in the bowl. And Kiffin will also not be coaching LSU going into or at the bowl, as he said in his introductory press conference last week.
“I don’t know,” Wilson said when asked if Kiffin will be on site to watch the bowl game, as Kelly did when LSU lost, 42-20, to Kansas State in the Texas Bowl on Jan. 4, 2021. LSU hired Kelly the previous month as head coach from Notre Dame to replace Orgeron.
“That’s probably a good question for your forum, though. I have no idea,” Wilson said laughing.
The five assistant coaches Kiffin has brought with him from Ole Miss will not be taking part in the bowl for the Tigers. They will be busy coaching Ole Miss (11-1) in the College Football Playoff on Dec. 20 (2:30 p.m., TNT) against No. 11 Tulane in Oxford. They left for Oxford Monday to begin bowl preparations. Those are offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Jr., wide receivers coach George McDonald, tight ends coach Joe Cox, assistant quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens and slot receivers coach Sawyer Jordan.
Lane Kiffin’s best signee of the day may be the 54-year-old. And LSU doesn’t appear to be retaining the man behind that ?able roster – Austin Thomas.https://t.co/Pd9wBxZher
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) December 4, 2025
New offensive line coach Eric Wolford, formerly of Kentucky, is also not expected to be coaching the Tigers’ offensive line for or in the bowl.
“The staff that we finished the season with will be the staff that coach in the bowl game,” Wilson said.
GARRETT NUSSMEIER, WHIT WEEKS WILL NOT PLAY IN BOWL
LSU’s players dealing with injuries or opt-outs as the regular season ended such as senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (abdomen), senior cornerback Mansoor Delane (core) and junior linebacker Whit Weeks (ankle) will not play in the bowl, Wilson said.
“Garrett is out,” Kiffin said. “Mansoor’s out. And Whit Weeks will be out.”
Junior wide receiver Aaron Anderson (knee) “is not likely,” Wilson said.
Junior center Braelin Moore (ankle) “has a chance,” he said.
Asked about Weeks’ future being at LSU or the NFL Draft, Wilson said, “We have had discussions about it. Met with coach Kiff about it as well, so it’s an ongoing conversation.”
Sophomore defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux, meanwhile, will practice for and play in the bowl after deciding to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, Wilson said.
“We’re in discussions with some of those veteran players who may opt out,” Wilson said.
Senior defensive end Jack Pyburn is considering opting out of the bowl without an injury.
“Maybe a couple more guys,” Wilson said. “But we haven’t finalized that just yet. But we’re anticipating having the lion’s share of our team in quantity and in quality to be able to participate.”
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