As the Wheel of Lane Kiffin continues to turn, LSU has been forced to consider backup options should Ed Orgeron‘s preferred choice of offensive coordinator not take his play-calling talents to Baton Rouge. And Kiffin’s dalliances with Houston and Florida Atlantic have made it apparent LSU is itself a back-up option for him should the right head coaching opportunity not present itself.
As Ross Dellenger of the Baton Rouge Advocate reports, LSU has vetted former USC head coach and current Alabama offensive analyst Steve Sarkisian, former Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich and current Pittsburgh coordinator Matt Canada for the position, with Canada emerging as a “serious candidate.”
Sarkisian is essentially Kiffin’s mirror as an offensive mind, following him as USC’s offensive coordinator, as USC’s head coach and later to Alabama. Helfrich achieved considerable success as Oregon’s offensive coordinator under Chip Kelly and Canada is a rising star in the coaching world after rocketing Pitt from 68th to 10th in his first season running the Panthers’ offense.
Canada was a finalist for the Broyles Award as college football’s top assistant coach.
No matter if Kiffin comes to Baton Rouge or not, it seems LSU and Orgeron are serious about becoming as un-LSU-like as possible on offense moving forward.