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ESPN commentator and LSU alumnus Ryan Clark endorsed his choice for the next head coach of the Tigers. LSU fired head coach Brian Kelly more than a week ago following a brutal loss to Texas A&M that led to a tumultuous meeting with the school’s athletic director, Scott Woodward. More news: Shedeur Sanders Makes Appearance at Colorado Game During Browns Bye Week Eventually, LSU higher-ups decided that it was worth paying the $54 million buyout to move on from Kelly, someone who did not have the support of most fans and had fewer supporters within the program. Now that Kelly is officially gone, a coaching search has begun, although Woodward is not leading it. Instead, LSU has hired Verge Ausberry as the athletic director, and he will appoint the new coach. BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 11: Brian Kelly, head coach of the LSU Tigers on the field during the second half of a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Tiger Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Derick E. Hingle/Getty Images) He will have to make a key hire right off the bat, and Ausberry is taking the head coach search seriously. “We’re going to hire the best football coach there is,” Ausberry said on Friday. “That’s our job. We are not going to let this program fail. LSU has to be in the playoffs every year in football. There’s 12 teams that make it.” More news: Florida Predicted to Poach SEC Coach in Huge Splash to Replace Billy Napier One of Kelly’s harshest critics during his time in Baton Rouge was Ryan Clark, a former LSU football player and NFL star who became a lead analyst for ESPN. He is a Louisiana native who attended LSU — where he played cornerback — and is a passionate individual when it comes to the college program. In a post on X, Clark vouched for Ausberry and named his ideal next coach of the Tigers. “Keep Verge [Ausberry] as AD and go get Lane Kiffin!!,” Clark wrote. Keep Verge as AD, and go get Lane Kiffin!! Rise from the ashes Tigers!! #GeauxTigers— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) November 1, 2025 Lane Kiffin is currently a head coach at Ole Miss, where he has rebuilt the program into an SEC powerhouse. He is known for calling a potent offense at every stop and recruiting successfully in a way that reaches younger generations. More news: Lane Kiffin Sounds Off On College Football’s Major Head Coach Firings He has been coy about his future with the media, though he appears to have good job security in Mississippi. A job like LSU rarely becomes available, and if Ausberry decides that he is the man for the program, it will be hard for Kiffin to turn down the money and recruiting potential at a sleeping giant. For all the latest NCAA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports
