By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, TIGER RAG STAFF Writer
New LSU head coach Lane Kiffin brought six assistants with him to Baton Rouge to coach alongside him for the Tigers.
The biggest name of them all is offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. Weis and Kiffin’s history together dates back all the way to 2015, when Kiffin served as the offensive coordinator for Alabama under Nick Saban. Weis, the 32-year-old, worked under Kiffin on the offensive staff in an analyst role.
Weis joined Kiffin’s Florida Atlantic staff as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2018 and then followed Kiffin to Ole Miss where he served as the offensive coordinator for six years.
Weis, who has played a pivotal role in Kiffin’s successful offenses, signed a three-year-deal worth $6 million according to The Baton Rouge Advocate. His annual salary starts at $1.9 million, which would have made him one of the top 10 highest paid coordinators in the country this season, and his salary increases annually over the course of the contract.
Weis and Kiffin boasted the No. 3 total offense (498.1 ypg) and No. 11 scoring offense (37.2 ppg) in the country this season to help lift the Rebels to what will be their first College Football Playoffs berth.
The two elite offensive minds will have a tall task in fixing LSU’s offense which finished No. 108 in total offense (332.7 ypg) and No. 106 in scoring offense (21.8 ppg) in the nation. But here’s the good news: Kiffin has been able to revive offenses in his first year at programs.
In his first year at USC (2010), Kiffin’s Trojans averaged 431.5 yards per game after averaging nearly 389 in 2009. In his first season with Alabama (2014), the Crimson Tide averaged 484.5 yards per game, increasing its 2013 average by 30 yards a game. At FAU, the Owls’ offense averaged 498.2 yards per game in 2017 after averaging 398.2 yards per game in 2016. In Kiffin’s first season with Ole Miss in 2020, the Rebels had the No. 3 total offense in the country, averaging 555.9 yards per game.
In addition to Weis, LSU agreed to terms with co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Joe Cox, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator George McDonald, inside wide receivers coach Sawyer Jordan, senior executive director of player personnel Mike Williams and head of strength and conditioning Nick Savage.
The Advocate reported that all of the assistants except Jordan are on two-year deals. The Advocate also reported that Cox will make $800,000 per year while McDonald and Savage will both make $825,000 per year.
Kiffin has established most of his offensive staff but has yet to hire a running backs coach and an offensive line coach. Kiffin announced that LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson will continue to coach the Tigers in the bowl game and there’s a strong possibility that he could be retained in the same role.
In addition to the six assistants already hired, LSU is also expected to hire general manager Billy Glasscock, senior associate athletic director for football operations Thaddeus Rivers and defensive analyst Chris Kiffin – all who were with Kiffin in Oxford.
BLAKE BAKER INTERVIEW
Not only will Kiffin have to fill up his offensive staff, but he may be challenged with finding a new defensive coordinator as LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker was in New Orleans on Monday to interview for the Tulane head coaching job. Baker played for the Green Wave from 2000-2003 as a linebacker.
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