After Brian Kelly was fired as the head coach of the LSU Tigers, the program has continued with the firings. Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan was the next to lose his job. Following this weekend’s loss to Texas A&M, the Tigers’ playoff chances are all but over, according to PFSN’s playoff meter. They currently have a 2.18% chance of reaching the postseason.
The former offensive coordinator joined the Tigers’ staff in 2024 after Mike Denbrock departed for Notre Dame. This comes after Sloan helped develop Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels as a quarterbacks coach in 2022.
Alex Atkins’ Checkered Past Threatens Joe Sloan’s Replacement Strategy
Following the announcement that LSU would be moving on from its former head coach, it was recently revealed that it would also be firing its offensive coordinator. Tight ends coach Alex Atkins will take over for the former coordinator.
LSU has fired offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, per the school.
Tight ends coach Alex Atkins will take over as offensive coordinator. pic.twitter.com/d8eco116Kx
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) October 27, 2025
“LSU has fired offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, per the school. Tight ends coach Alex Atkins will take over as offensive coordinator.” The announcement from CBS Sports’ senior reporter Matt Zenitz read.
LSU’s offense ranked 84th in the country going into last weekend’s game. The unit holds an Offense Impact score of 76.8, earning a C- ranking. Most of the team’s struggles have occurred in the red zone, and when it comes to converting points, they averaged just 2.2 points per drive.
Before joining LSU, the new offensive coordinator, Atkins, spent three years at Florida State. The former FSU offensive coordinator was fired in 2024 after the Seminoles went 2-10 that season. However, he had previous success with Florida before his departure.
“Florida State led the nation with its average of 7.46 plays of 20-plus yards per game in 2022, the program’s highest season average since the 2013 national championship, and was third in the country with an explosive play rate of 17.15 percent.” Atkins’s bio on Seminoles.com reads.
Atkins was investigated and punished by the NCAA in January for NIL-related recruiting violations, and in 2024, his tenure with Florida State went a lot differently. After creating one of the best offenses in the country in 2022 and 2023, 2024 was a down year for the OC.
According to a post shared on Twitter, Atkins’ 2024 offense ranked 55th in the nation for explosive plays. This came after Florida State’s offense ranked at 7th and 10th in Atkins’s first two years as Offensive Coordinator. LSU will hope to get his 2023 form rather than the playcalling that got him fired.
An abdominal strain has hampered Garett Nussmeier since the preseason, an injury he has played through all year. However, he has not looked fully fit since the start of the season, and the quarterback is sliding further down the rankings ahead of the NFL Draft.
According to PFN’s QB impact ratings before last weekend’s game.  Nussmeier does not rank in the top 50 for college football quarterbacks. The Tigers’ signal-caller is ranked 70th on the season. LSU will hope the former Seminole will save the quarterback’s season ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
