David Pollack predicts rising star to land LSU head coaching job

ESPN analyst David Pollack said on Tuesday’s ESPN College Football Podcast that he believes LSU will pursue one of the hottest names on the market, suggesting that the Tigers will pursue Baylor head coach Dave Aranda.

Rece Davis agreed in part with Pollack, and added that he’s a big fan of Aranda, who’s had quite the tenure in a short time at Baylor. Aranda received his first head coaching job at Baylor in 2020, and the Bears struggled in his first year at the helm, finishing with just a 2-7 record in 2020. However, things changed in 2021, as the Baylor Bears are off to an 8-2 start under Aranda, and after upsetting Oklahoma last weekend, Baylor is ranked No. 11 in the AP poll. Davis did, however, question whether it’s too early in his tenure to leave Baylor for LSU.

The duo of ESPN analysts mentioned that Mel Tucker would be an intriguing candidate for the job, and they both suggested that he’d be a good fit at LSU. However, with Tucker having left Colorado for Michigan State after just one season at the helm, they both predicted that he’d stay in East Lansing.

“I don’t think Mel Tucker will leave,” Pollack said. “Smartly. I think he should stay.”

“I would hire Dave Aranda because, listen, Ed O’s antics and what he is and who he is — I like the exact opposite,” Pollack said, suggesting that Aranda would be a welcome change-of-pace option for LSU. “I would love to have a cerebral, level-headed guy. I think, again, when I’m hiring a coach, I am taking one side of the ball and it better be elite. And I think he’s an elite mind when it comes to defense, and it’s not just at LSU, it’s not just at Baylor, it’s back at Wisconsin. Like, this dude is really, really good.”

Prior to his arrival in Waco, Aranda coached a number of successful defensive units, as Pollack suggested. What makes Aranda a good fit at LSU is not just his “cerebral, level-headed” mindset or his past success — it’s also the fact that he previously coached at LSU. Aranda was the Tigers defensive coordinator and associate head coach from 2016 until 2019, leading them to the national championship before leaving for Baylor.

“I know my LSU defense is going to be top-notch like it was when he was there [if Aranda is hired], and it’s going to be great,” Pollack said. “I think I’ll be structured, I’ll be disciplined — I just like the aura of Dave Aranda and I think it would be a really good fit for LSU. I think it would bring some stability.

“Listen, LSU is going to recruit itself. It’s a big fish in a small pond. People want to go to Louisiana, it’s got the pedigree, it’s got the winning, there’s a lot of it that’s already good. So, I think my first choice would be Dave Aranda.”

LSU announced over a month ago that it would be parting ways with current head coach Ed Orgeron. As part of the agreement, Orgeron will continue to coach the LSU Tigers until the conclusion of the season, before the university goes its separate way. Orgeron, most famously, constructed and coached LSU’s 2019 national championship-winning team, which featured Heisman Trophy-winner Joe Burrow and a perfect, 15-0 record.

He has amassed a 49-20 record in six years at the helm of the LSU Tigers, including a 9-11 record since the national title. While Pollack suggested that the Tigers replace Orgeron with Aranda, Davis made a much more surprising, unconventional prediction.