Yet another SEC coaching job is now open, and it's a big one.

LSU fired fourth-year coach Brian Kelly on Sunday night, parting ways with the former Notre Dame coach amid a 5-3 start to a season that began with College Football Playoff expectations. The decision came after a 49-25 home loss at the hands of Texas A&M on Saturday night.

Running backs coach and longtime LSU assistant Frank Wilson will take over as interim head coach.

The Tigers are back on the market for the second time since 2021 after firing Kelly, who will be owed a roughly $53 million buyout paid out over several years. Whether they're looking to hand out another big contract to a proven, sitting power conference coach remains to be seen.

Still, there will be more than a few options at what is viewed by many as the top job currently open. Here are some candidates the Tigers could target to replace Kelly.

Jon Sumrall, Tulane head coach

If LSU is looking to make a younger, high-upside hire that wouldn't require a Kelly-esque contract, it could look just about an hour down the road in New Orleans.

Jon Sumrall has Tulane in contention for the Group of Five playoff spot in his second season at Tulane, and he's quickly established himself as a rising star in the coaching world. In two years at Troy, Sumrall turned in a 23-4 record, and with the Green Wave, he is 15-6 after winning nine games in Year 1 last fall.

Sumrall is just 43, and it is widely expected he will be coaching somewhere in the SEC next year. He has a long track record of coaching in the SEC footprint as the Texas native has had assistant stints at his alma mater, Kentucky, as well as Ole Miss.

His name is likely to come up for any and all jobs in the conference that open this offseason, including the post in Baton Rouge. Is LSU willing to take a bit of a risk on an up-and-coming guy with a potentially high ceiling? Time will tell, but Sumrall is currently a betting favorite to get this job and will almost certainly get a look.

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator

Now, this is a reunion LSU fans could get behind.

Though he wasn't the play-caller, Joe Brady was widely viewed as the mastermind behind Joe Burrow's legendary Heisman-winning season in 2019 while serving as LSU's passing game coordinator. He left after that season to become the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator, which didn't work out as he was fired after two seasons by Matt Rhule.

Since then, however, Brady has excelled in Buffalo. Initially serving as quarterbacks coach, he was promoted to interim offensive coordinator in 2023 and was ultimately rewarded with the full-time position. He helped lead the Bills to the AFC Championship Game in 2024 and finished fourth in voting for the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year.

Brady received several NFL head coaching interviews last offseason, and he could be in line for one of those positions again this offseason. If that doesn't work out, or if Brady has interest in returning to college, this would be a pretty easy hire to sell.

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss head coach

The Lane Kiffin sweepstakes could get very interesting in the weeks to come.

The Ole Miss coach currently has has team in contention for both an SEC title and the College Football Playoff, but that run has largely been overshadowed by a fairly public pursuit from Florida that began after the Gators fired Billy Napier. Now, it wouldn't be a surprise to see LSU throw its hat in the ring for Kiffin's services, as well.

Kiffin has won double-digit games in three seasons since arriving in Oxford, and he's viewed as one of the top coaches in the country when it comes to utilizing the transfer portal. Ole Miss is working on a long-term extension, and staying with the Rebels remains an option.

Whether LSU would want to offer the kind of contract it would take to hire Kiffin remains to be seen. It may require making him the highest-paid coach in the country, a move LSU decision-makers could be hesitant to make after the Kelly era went sideways.

Still, if the Tigers are dead-set on finding a proven option rather than a younger, cheaper candidate, it has to be Kiffin.

James Franklin, former Penn State head coach

As is the case for any other major job that opens this season, LSU would have to contend with some potentially poor optics if Franklin emerges as the target. After all, hiring a coach that a program the Tigers view themselves as superior to just fired wouldn't be the best look.

Still, Franklin can coach ball, and depending on who the Nittany Lions hire to replace him, the decision to move on from Franklin could age poorly. Given access to the resources available at LSU, it's hard to imagine the floor for Franklin wouldn't be very high.

It would be a similar move to the Kelly hire in many ways, which could be a reason the Tigers opt to stay away from Franklin. But unlike Kelly, Franklin has experience as a head coach in the SEC and a lot of skills as a CEO that could translate nicely to LSU.

Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri head coach

A name that will certainly be a factor in the Florida job if Kiffin opts to pass, Drinkwitz could also be a candidate at LSU. He checks a lot of the boxes the Tigers will be looking for, and he holds an impressive 27-7 record over the last three seasons.

Drinkwitz has Mizzou punching above its weight class in the SEC in terms of talent acquisition, and his decision to relieve himself of play-calling duties two years ago has paid off nicely. Is Drinkwitz's quirky personality a fit in the Bayou? Maybe not, but he's still a much better fit than Kelly was.

He probably won't be LSU's top candidate, but it's not hard to foresee a reality where he becomes a factor in its search.

Clark Lea, Vanderbilt head coach

Lea's name has quickly bubbled up as someone to watch in this coaching carousel cycle. He has Vanderbilt 7-1 on the year and ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 1947. He's also a Vandy alum, so he may not be keen to leave his alma mater, especially when he has it in contention for a CFP bid.

Still, it's hard to imagine he wouldn't at least listen if LSU came calling. The Commodores still face considerable limitations relative to the SEC, and they're likely in their last season with Diego Pavia at quarterback.

In addition to Pavia, Lea has built an impressive staff that has absolutely nailed its evaluations, and his track record as a talent evaluator, in-game coach and defensive mind would make him a comparable hire to Mike Elko at Texas A&M, which is currently going quite well in College Station.

Lea could be something of a dark horse in this search.

Bonus Round: Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame head coach

I don't think this one is going to happen, but man, would it be funny.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: 6 early coaching candidates to watch after LSU fired Brian Kelly

Reporting by Tyler Nettuno, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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