ESPN Analyst Names 2 LSU Head Coach Favorites but Leaves Out Marcus Freeman and Mike Elko

Former LSU defensive end and ESPN analyst Marcus Spears named his picks for the next Tigers head coaching job.

The LSU Tigers pulled off a comeback to win a tough game against the Arkansas Razorbacks 23-22 in Week 12 of college football action. The win clinched bowl eligibility for the Tigers in a season full of turmoil.

Interim coach Frank Wilson led the Tigers after the firing of former coach Brian Kelly, who is involved in a lawsuit against his former team.

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ESPN Analyst Reveals His Picks for the Next LSU Coach

During Sunday’s segment of the “Rich Eisen” show, former LSU defensive end and ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears threw out two names that he hoped could take over the Tigers’ job, ignoring PFSN’s fifth-ranked Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Mike Elko.

“Ideally, it would be Lane Kiffin as my one A, and my one B would be (Eli) Drinkwitz from Missouri,” Spears said. “And I just hate bringing up names of guys that are already at schools, not that I got a lot of love for Ole Miss or Missouri, I could care less if they get mad.

“It’s just, sometimes when people in the media say something, it goes over the diaspora and people gotta answer questions about it.”

Kiffin has become the hottest name in college football after leading the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels to a 10-1 record this season. They are on the verge of clinching a College Football Playoff spot. On the other hand, Drinkwitz has led the Tigers to a 7-3 record this season.

Analyst Makes Kiffin to LSU Prediction

During Saturday’s segment of the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt predicted that Kiffin would not leave Oxford for Baton Rouge, citing the relative bandwidth afforded to coaches at the respective programs.

“I don’t think Lane’s going to take that job,” Klatt said. “I think he’s going to stay at Ole Miss. If you would have asked me last week, I would have said, ‘No, no, no. He’s definitely going to leave.’ It’s just like, you’ve got the keys to the entire castle, do it how you want to do it, this is your program.

“And in some ways, Lane has that at Ole Miss, and he wouldn’t have that at other places. At Ole Miss, it’s his program. I think if you sat back, if you’re Lane, and you value that, then you would stay. That’s why I’m leaning in that direction. I think Ole Miss is good for Lane as much as Lane is good for Ole Miss.”

Kiffin has led the Rebels to three consecutive 10-win seasons and four 10-win seasons in his six-year tenure at Ole Miss, accounting for the clamor for his services across college football.

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