“He Wants the Head Coaching Job”: Robert Griffin III Names Brian Kelly’s Successor After LSU Firing

The Brian Kelly era at LSU has come to an abrupt and costly end. The university officially parted ways with Kelly after a tumultuous season marked by inconsistent play and locker room tension. Despite securing solid recruiting classes, LSU’s underwhelming performances against SEC powerhouses sealed Kelly’s fate. His departure comes with a staggering $54 million buyout, the second-largest in college football history.

As sports business analyst Joe Pompliano noted, this adds to a historic spending spree: college football programs have already shelled out over $170 million in buyouts in 2025, smashing the previous record of $118 million, with nearly three months still left in the year.

Amid the chaos of Kelly’s firing, Robert Griffin III (RGIII) offered a bold take. The former Heisman winner revealed an unexpected name who, according to him, wants to take over the LSU program:

“Tyrann Mathieu hit me up and let me know that he wants the head coaching job at LSU,” RGIII said. “And you cannot tell me that any LSU Tiger wouldn’t want him to lead them back to glory. You’re gonna have to surround this guy with lots of great staff.”

Mathieu, affectionately known as the “Honey Badger,” is one of LSU’s most iconic players ever. During his college career, he was a Heisman finalist, won the Chuck Bednarik Award, and set an SEC record with 11 career forced fumbles before being dismissed from the team in 2012 for violating team rules.

He went on to have a stellar 12-year NFL career, earning multiple All-Pro selections and becoming one of the most respected defensive leaders in the league. However, fans were not on board with RGIII’s idea.

“Soon as he said the name, I clicked off,” one disgruntled fan wrote, while another had his own idea: “Too inexperienced for a big program like that. I could see them going after a coordinator for the HC job like Charlie Weiss Jr. if their best leads go cold.”

Soon as he said the name I clicked off

LSU is a serious program it’s not a Pipeline for peoples first ever jobs at the Position 🤦🏾‍♂️

Who they going hire Next OBJ🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️

Got be serious sometimes they should be seeing what Urban Meyer is doing

— GuruTwoey (@GuruTwoey) October 27, 2025

“Why would they hire a head coach who needs a ton of other great coaches to teach him how to coach? Did you even think before making this video?” another comment slammed RGIII.

Why would they hire a head coach who needs a ton of other great coaches to teach him how to coach? Did you even think before making this video?

— JustElliot (@JustElliot2) October 27, 2025

As LSU begins its search to replace Brian Kelly, several big names are already being linked to the Tigers’ high-profile vacancy. The most prominent is Lane Kiffin, whose success at Ole Miss has made him one of the SEC’s hottest commodities. Kiffin has the Rebels on the brink of their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, and his offensive acumen, recruiting prowess, and familiarity with the SEC landscape make him a natural fit in Baton Rouge.

However, his current success in Oxford and Florida’s long-standing interest in bringing him to Gainesville could complicate LSU’s pursuit. Still, given LSU’s unmatched resources, fan support, and in-state recruiting advantages, Kiffin would be near or at the top of the Tigers’ wish list.

Beyond Kiffin, LSU could look toward other rising stars across college football. Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, already thriving in Louisiana and considered one of the sport’s fastest-rising coaches, makes a lot of sense. Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, fresh off multiple CFP wins, would be a bold swing reminiscent of LSU’s last big hire.

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech’s Brent Key and Missouri’s Eliah Drinkwitz both bring SEC familiarity and proven success in building tough, disciplined programs. No matter who ultimately takes the job, LSU’s opening is one of the most attractive in the nation, and with the right hire, the Tigers could quickly return to national championship contention.