Not surprisingly, wagering establishments are beginning to roll out the odds on the next head coach down on the bayou. Somewhat surprisingly, however, this particular house doesn’t include the current sideline bosses at Alabama and Ohio State.
According to odds released by Bovada.lv earlier this afternoon, Houston’s Tom Herman, at 5/4, is the overwhelming favorite to replace Les Miles as LSU’s head coach. Behind Herman is former LSU assistant and current Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher at 3/1.
Not unexpectedly, both Herman and Fisher denied yesterday that they have been contacted by LSU about the opening. Left unsaid, however, is whether their respective agents have been in contact with the school or those connected to the programs.
It was reported earlier this month that language will be inserted into Herman’s contract that will stipulate the coach is to receive a $5 million bonus if the Cougars move from the AAC to one of the Power Five conferences. That could be a moot point, however, if a new report that Oklahoma, and thus the Big 12 are cooling on expanding beyond its current 10-team configuration.
Herman is set to make $3 million annually on a new contract agreed to last November. LSU, though, could nearly double that salary if Herman is their target, and UH likely couldn’t -- or wouldn’t -- match it.
Interim Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron is given a fighting chance to landing the job permanently as the wagering website has given the line coach 9/1 odds at keeping the position beyond this year. Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is behind Orgeron at 12/1.
In addition to Herman, Fisher, Orgeron and Kiffin, Bovada also included North Carolina’s Larry Fedora (4/1), USF’s Willie Taggart (6/1), TCU’s Gary Patterson (15/1), former Oregon and current San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly (15/1), Louisville’s Bobby Petrino (18/1) and former Baylor head coach Art Briles (28/1) in their initial set of odds.