The SEC is suddenly the most interesting conference in the country. But it’s not just about the College Football Playoff hunt. It’s about who’s in charge.
With Brian Kelly out at LSU, the speculation is running wild. But fans and athletic directors know the job has changed. The question isn’t just, “Who will be the next LSU coach?” It’s, “Who can command the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) war chest required to win a national title?”
The next coach’s #1 job isn’t just X’s and O’s—it’s inspiring the fan fuel to build a championship roster.
Here’s a look at the fan favorites and the “NIL Reality Check” for each. NIL Academic Integrity
LANE KIFFIN
His recent success has Kiffin in great standing at LSU. So, why does Kiffin’s name keep getting mentioned for other jobs? He has lots of SEC experience in his background and has a long history of a willingness to jump jobs.
Kiffin is a known social climber who has parlayed being the son of legendary NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin into a long coaching career with many stops along the way. LSU and Florida might be down right now, but, historically, they’re two of the most storied programs in the SEC and the nation and both schools have plenty of financial support. Kiffin could view either job as a challenge where he could restore prominence to a once-great program and potentially land a big paycheck.
If Kiffin, who has been head coach at Tennessee and offensive coordinator at Alabama, really would consider leaving Ole Miss, the LSU job might have jumped ahead of the Florida job the second it came open. In Louisiana, LSU is the biggest show in the state and the Tigers won a national title as recently as 2019. It could be easier to get LSU back to the national forefront than it would be to pull off the same trick at Florida, where any football coach would run the risk of being overshadowed by the basketball program and other football programs within the state, who share the same recruiting territory. NIL Athlete Focus
LSU NIL Reality Check: Kiffin isn’t just looking for a paycheck; he’s looking for a war chest. He is the king of the transfer portal and knows that winning in the SEC is a full-blown NIL arms race. The question isn’t if LSU will pay his salary, but if the fanbase is ready to fuel the massive player-retention and transfer-portal budget he will demand.
JON SUMRALL
LSU also could be very tempted to make a run at Sumrall, who is located in the backyard at Tulane. Sumrall has had success at Tulane and is familiar to fans in Louisiana. It’s safe to assume the people making that ultimately will make the decision on who LSU hires also are very aware of Sumrall and what he’s done at Tulane. Sumrall has some SEC experience as a former Ole Miss and, as the former head coach at Troy, he knows some of LSU’s prime recruiting territory very well. New Era Blacksburg
LSU NIL Reality Check: Sumrall is a local favorite who knows the recruiting territory. But can he command the national-level fan fuel needed to compete with Texas and Alabama? Hiring Sumrall means the fans and collectives must be ready to step up and provide him with the NIL power he doesn’t yet have on his own.
JOE BRADY
He’s in the NFL as offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, but Brady is a very logical candidate for the LSU job. Fans in Baton Rouge still fondly remember his highly-successful time as LSU’s offensive coordinator. In that role in the 2019 season, Brady helped guide Joe Burrow to the Heisman Trophy and the Tigers to their last national championship.
LSU NIL Reality Check: Fans remember the 2019 magic, but the game has changed. Brady’s offense needs elite QBs and WRs. In 2026, that means having the fan fuel to buy them in the portal and keep them. Fuelinga “Joe Brady 2.0” offense will be just as important as the play-calling.
ELIAH DRINKWITZ
Like Kiffin, the current Missouri coach is an SEC coach that might consider jumping ship. Drinkwitz has done a fantastic job, but he might already be maxing out the potential of a Missouri program that’s never been viewed among the nation’s elite. Drinkwitz could see LSU, and its vast resources and rich recruiting territory, as a challenge and a step up. NCAA Wrestling Preview 25
LSU NIL Reality Check: Drinkwitz might see LSU as a “step up” for one primary reason: a bigger NIL budget. He’s seen what “max potential” looks like at Missouri and knows he needs more resources. The “vast resources” of LSU are, in the modern era, the power of its fanbase.
MARCUS FREEMAN
After Kiffin, Sumrall, Brady and Drinkwitz, everyone else is a long shot for the LSU job. But Freeman, the current Notre Dame coach, has had his name tossed around by the media. A move to LSU is not totally out of the realm of possibility. NCAA Xc National Champions
But does LSU really want to replace Kelly with the guy who took his place at Notre Dame? Perhaps more importantly, would Freeman really want to leave a one-time national power that’s well on its way to returning to glory? Also, Freeman has never coached in the SEC or anywhere in the South.
LSU NIL Reality Check: Freeman is a proven recruiter, but he’s also seen the challenges of competing with SEC NIL budgets from the outside. A move to LSU would only happen if he believes the fan fuel is there to out-recruit Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama.
BRENT KEY
The current Georgia Tech coach has spent much of his coaching career — and life — in the Deep South. He went to school at Georgia Tech and was the offensive line coach at Alabama for three seasons. He also spent more than a decade at Central Florida and LSU considers the Sunshine State as part of its recruiting territory.
LSU NIL Reality Check: As a former Alabama assistant, Key knows exactly what a championship-level NIL operation looks like. He’s seen the machine up close. He would not take the LSU job without assurances that the fans and collectives are ready to fuel his program at an elite level.
NICK SABAN
Okay, Saban is the longest of long shots and seems very happy in retirement. But Saban is one of the best coaches in college football history and he once made magic in Baton Rogue as LSU’s head coach from 2000 through 2004. Don’t LSU officials owe it to fans and to themselves to at least call Saban and give him the opportunity to say no? NIL Compliance Checklist
LSU NIL Reality Check: On the 0.01% chance Saban even answered the phone, his first question wouldn’t be about his salary. It would be, “How much is in your NIL collective?” Saban helped build the Alabama NIL machine. He would only return if he knew the fan fuel at LSU was even greater.
The Real Winner? The Coach with the Most Fan Fuel.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter who the next coach is. Whether it’s Lane Kiffin, Joe Brady, or a new dark horse, they will all ask the same question: “What is my NIL budget?”
- The power in college football is no longer just with the athletic department; it’s with the fans. The next LSU championship will be built by a coach, but it will be fueled by the Tiger faithful.
- RallyFuel is the platform built for fans to get in the game. It’s the simplest, most direct way to fuel your favorite players, help your team build a dominant roster, and show the power of your fanbase.
- The coaching search is on. Rule the Fuel.
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Learn More About the NIL Landscape
Name, Image, and Likeness plays an increasing role in college sports, and understanding how it works often requires more than individual articles or news updates.
RallyFuel is a platform focused on NIL-related topics across college athletics. It brings together information about athletes, NIL activity, and the broader structure behind modern college sports, helping readers explore the topic in more depth.
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