By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
Many LSU football coaches over the years have gone into a game thinking it might be their last because of a looming firing.
On Saturday, LSU (7-5) plays No. 21 Houston (9-3) in the Texas Bowl in Houston (8:15 p.m., ESPN) with four coaches knowing they will not be returning as LSU coaches next season. That’s because they have already been fired, effective as soon as this bowl ends, which will be near the time the clock strikes midnight.
New LSU coach Lane Kiffin, who is at the game but will not be coaching, did not retain interim coach/running backs coach Frank Wilson, offensive line coach Brad Davis, co-offensive coordinator/receivers coach Cortez Hankton and run game coordinator/tight ends coach Alex Atkins.
Yet, all four have continued to stay on to coach the Tigers during bowl practices and in Saturday night’s game. Defensive line coach Kyle Williams was also let go by Kiffin, but he decided not to coach in the bowl. He has been replaced by defensive analyst Jermauria Rasco, a former LSU defensive end (2011-14), for the bowl.
Only Wilson as of yet has gotten another job. He will be running backs coach at Ole Miss, where Kiffin left the head coaching job on Nov. 29 and arrived at LSU the next day. Kiffin chose not to coach the Texas Bowl. The six offensive assistant coaches Kiffin brought from Ole Miss will also not coach in the Texas Bowl as they are continuing to coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoffs. Kiffin wanted to do that as well, but Ole Miss said no.
That half dozen includes the most recent hire – Ole Miss running backs coach Kevin Smith, who joined the staff last week just after Ole Miss beat Tulane in a playoff opener. Wilson was hired by Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding to replace Smith, who had been expected to come to LSU for several weeks.
Wilson told reporters Friday in Houston that he had a chance to stay at LSU in a non-coaching capacity, but it didn’t work out. Wilson did not say what role at LSU he discussed with Kiffin.
“Coach Kiffin was absolutely awesome the entire time and wanted to try to find a way to work it out,” Wilson said. “We didn’t come to that resolution. I have no qualms with coach Kiffin. He’s going to be an outstanding coach. He’s assembled a great staff. He’ll be fantastic.”
LSU has never played in a bowl under such a strange, seismic, coaching personnel shift.
“We want to finish what we’ve started with this football team in 2025,” Wilson said. “We want to give them our undivided attention before transition happens.”
Wilson may obviously have mixed emotions, but LSU remains very important to the New Orleans native, who will be wrapping up his second stint as a Tigers assistant coach. He was LSU’s running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 2010-15 after losing his wide receivers coaching job at Tennessee following the 2009 season under Kiffin when Kiffin left that job for USC.
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After head coaching stints at Texas-San Antonio and McNeese State, Wilson returned to LSU as associate head coach/running backs shortly after LSU hired Brian Kelly away from Notre Dame following the 2021 season. Wilson replaced Kelly as interim coach on Oct. 26 when Kelly was fired.
“Any time you wear that helmet, there’s an expectation and a standard of going out and playing with high enthusiasm and fierce effort,” Wilson said. “I think you’ll get that from our football team.”
Wilson helped Kiffin keep some of the key, previously committed members of LSU’s 2026 signing class during the early signing period from Dec. 3-5 before he knew for sure he was not coming back.
LSU defensive coaches kept by Kiffin – coordinator Blake Baker, secondary coach Corey Raymond, safeties coach Jake Olsen and edge rushers coach Kevin Peoples have also continued to coach the Tigers in practice and will be coaching the game.
LSU’s roster will also have this strange dynamic of comings and goings. The Tigers have been depleted somewhat by 14 players either entering or considering entering the NCAA Transfer Portal in recent days and weeks. Some of them have stayed with the team and have practiced and may play or may not play Saturday night.
The latest players to say they will enter the portal are sophomore offensive linemen Tyree Adams and DJ Chester and junior safety Javien Toviano in the last two days. Adams started eight games during the regular season at tackle. Chester was mainly a backup at guard and center, but started one game. Adams and Chester made the trip to Houston and could play tonight. Toviano did not make the trip.
At least six LSU players who plan to enter the portal are expected to play tonight – sophomore center/guard DJ Chester, sophomore tackle Tyree Adams, freshman offensive lineman, Carius Curne, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Coen Echols, sophomore defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux and sophomore running back/reserve quarterback Ju’Juan Johnson, who will back up starting quarterback Michael Van Buren.
Several of the players entering the portal did so because Kiffin and staff were not interested in keeping them, or were interested in keeping them – but at a lower pay scale they were making under the previous staff.
Senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will not play as he prepares for the NFL Draft while recovering from a painful abdomen injury that bothered him all season. But he is in Houston with the team.
Senior guard Josh Thompson, senior linebacker West Weeks, senior defensive end Jack Pyburn, senior cornerback Mansoor Delane, senior safety AJ Haulcy, junior wide receiver Aaron Anderson, junior linebacker Whit Weeks (ankle injury) and junior linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. have not made the trip. The seniors are opting out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Anderson and Perkins are entering the 2026 NFL Draft a year early as juniors. The younger Weeks is considering entering the draft a year early as well.
Among the other players not making the trip because they plan to transfer are redshirt freshman quarterback Colin Hurley, junior running back Kaleb Jackson, redshirt freshman wide receivers Jelani Watkins and Kylan Billiot and redshirt freshman cornerback Wallace Foster.
For LSU, it will be a strange mix of coaches and players staying and leaving, to say the least.
Wilson just hopes everyone remembers what they are coaching and playing for – LSU – regardless of what is next.
“Any time you put our brand on the field, it garners excitement,” Wilson said.
Even though that brand will be an off brand soon for so many wearing it Saturday.
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