LSU DL Coaching Search: Hot Board 2.0

LSU is just days into searching for a new defensive line coach to replace Jamar Cain. What’s the latest buzz around who Brian Kelly could target? We dive in with some notes.

Shea Dixon broke down the first group of candidates to know in our Hot Board 1.0. Now I’ll add some additional notes on some coaches as well as keeping two of Shea’s coaches on the board.

Chidera Uzo-Diribe – Georgia Outside Linebackers Coach

An up-and-comer in the coaching ranks, Uzo-Diribe is a terrific recruiter, who was a former standout at Colorado. He’s jumped up the coaching ranks quickly, spending a year at SMU as defensive line coach before going to Georgia in 2022 after a cup of coffee at TCU. There are some ties between Uzo-Diribe and some folks in Baton Rouge that’d get him on the radar for the job. With Tray Scott in Athens, Scott would have to leave for Uzo-Diribe to get the whole room. At LSU, he could get the defensive line group and get back to coaching the players with their hand in the dirt, something he desires. He’s got SEC recruiting experience now and won a National Championship this year.

He was identified by On3 as an immediate impact recruiter for his team this spring, reeling in five-star EDGE Damon Wilson, beating out Ohio State, and landing four-star Samuel M’Pemba. The California native is a rising star in the recruiting and coaching world. He’d certainly listen if given a chance to interview.

Elijah Robinson – Texas A&M Defensive Line Coach/Assistant Head Coach

Simply put, he’s one of the best defensive line coaches in the country. He recruits at an elite level and would set LSU up for years of success in that realm. That said, he’s got all the titles he could have short of being defensive coordinator for the Aggies. He’s turned down major defensive coordinator opportunities at Power Five programs to stay in College Station. He makes $1.1 million a year so LSU would have to back up an insane truckload of money to grab him. He has complete autonomy on who he takes and recruits, as well. Would and should LSU give him a call? Absolutely. We’ve heard there’s interest on LSU’s side to do just that, but we’ll set expectations low on this one to happen, based on what we’ve been told.

Bo Davis – Texas Longhorns Defensive Line Coach

Davis, a Mississippi native, is a familiar name for LSU fans. Davis played at LSU from 1990 to 1992, then began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in Baton Rouge from 1995 to 1997. He returned to LSU as an assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2002 to 2005. Davis then followed former LSU head coach Nick Saban to the Miami Dolphins, and again to Alabama. Davis was the Tide’s defensive line coach from 2007 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2015. Davis resigned amid recruiting violations after he admitted visiting with recruits during an NCAA Dead Period. Davis was eventually handed a multi-year show cause by the NCAA that ended in 2019. Davis returned to college coaching in 2021, and he’s spent the past two seasons on staff with the Longhorns.

We’re hearing that the path is fairly clear for him to move within the SEC, but he’s got a solid gig in Austin, makes $875,000 and is coming off a strong class. He could end up wanting to come back to his alma mater and there’s interest on LSU’s end to see if that can happen, but will it? We’ll see. It’ll take a large chunk of money as well, but there are plenty of people who would want him, if they do approach him with an offer.

Jimmy Brumbaugh – Coastal Carolina Defensive Line Coach

The Gainesville (Fla.) native played college football at Auburn before beginning his career as a college coach in 2004. Brumbaugh worked at LSU as an assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2006 to 2007. Brumbaugh worked as Auburn’s defensive line coach in 2021 before the school parted ways with head coach Brian Harsin. He then took the defensive line coaching position at Coastal Carolina this past season. Brumbaugh also has SEC experience as Tennessee co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in 2020 and Kentucky’s defensive line coach from 2013 to 2016. Brumbaugh worked with LSU defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Matt House during his time at Kentucky, with the two crossing paths in Lexington during the 2016 season.

Stay tuned for more LSU defensive line coach targets to emerge in the coming days.

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