GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The day after LSU football coach Les Miles was fired in 2016, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron was fired by new interim head coach Ed Orgeron.
And on Monday, the day after LSU football coach Brian Kelly was fired, offensive coordinator Joe Sloan was fired by LSU, likely more by LSU athletic director Scott Woodward than new interim head coach Frank Wilson.
Wilson was promoted from associate head coach to interim coach on Sunday to replace Kelly. LSU first-year run game coordinator Alex Atkins will replace Sloan as LSU’s play caller. Interestingly, LSU’s run game this season has been the weakest link of the team as it is 122nd in the nation out of 136 upper level programs in rushing yards per game at 106.3.
LSU currently ranks 96th in the nation in total offense with 355.5 yards a game, 82nd in scoring with 25.5 a game and 47th in pass offense with 249.3 a game. Three of those four key statistics dropped dramatically under Sloan and Kelly this season.
Last year, LSU was No. 7 in the nation in pass offense with 315.2 yards a game behind a healthier Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback. He has suffered with an abdomen injury this season. LSU was 25th in total offense last season with 431.5 a game and 47th in scoring with 30.5 points a game. The run game also struggled last season under Sloan, Kelly and offensive line coach Brad Davis, finishing 107th with 116.4 yards a game despite having four future NFL Draft picks.
NEW LSU PLAY CALLER ALEX ATKINS HAS NCAA RAP SHEET
Atkins, 41, was Florida State’s offensive coordinator/offensive line coach in the 2023 and ’24 seasons. He was fired after a 1-9 start last season. He will remain as tight ends coach and run game coordinator. He has not received the offensive coordinator title at LSU, nor has anyone yet.
LSU is going to be player coached, Varsity Blues style, against Alabama in two weeks. https://t.co/f7zWDkHZUG
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 27, 2025
LSU analyst Tim Rattay, a former Louisiana Tech and NFL quarterback, will coach LSU’s quarterbacks. Sloan had that role. Rattay previously was the quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma State from 2020-24 and for Washington in the NFL in 2019.
Cortez Hankton, who had the LSU co-offensive coordinator and pass game coordinator titles under Kelly, will remain as LSU’s wide receivers coach.
Wilson has running backs coach in his title, but analyst Cordae Hankton will take over some of those duties to free Wilson up as interim coach.
Sloan, 38, was a questionable hire by Kelly to begin with following the 2023 season when highly regarded offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock left LSU to return to Notre Dame. Sloan had been quarterbacks coach under Denbrock and Kelly at LSU in 2022 and ’23. His only offensive coordinator experience was at Louisiana Tech in 2020 and ’21.
Kelly had planned to fire Sloan on Sunday, and Woodward was reportedly in agreement with that. Kelly also wanted to make other needed staff changes, likely involving Davis, whose offensive line has struggled mightily in the run game the last two seasons. But Woodward and Kelly clashed over that. Davis is a holdover from Orgeron’s last staff in 2021.
LSU (5-3, 2-3 SEC) is open this week before playing at No. 4 Alabama (7-1, 5-0 SEC) on Nov. 8.
Be the first to comment