

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRAP-UP
Hugh Freeze Heads to Baton Rouge as LSU Overhauls Staff in Major Offseason Shakeup

LSU made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason Friday, announcing the hiring of former Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze as the next leader of the Tigers football program. The move comes as part of a dramatic national carousel that saw multiple Power Five programs make coaching changes, including Nebraska, Kansas, Georgia Tech, and Texas A&M.
Freeze takes over an LSU team looking to reclaim its spot among the SEC elite after the "retirement" of longtime head coach Brian Kelly. In his second stint in the SEC, Freeze inherits a roster stacked with talent but inconsistent results, as LSU finished the year 7–6, including a 3-5 SEC record, and fell short of playoff contention.
“This is one of the premier jobs in college football,” Freeze said in his introductory press conference. “The expectations here are high and that’s exactly how it should be. I can’t wait to get to work and build something special in Baton Rouge.”
The hire represents a full-circle moment for Freeze, who revitalized Liberty and most recently led Auburn back to national relevance, falling just shy of a national championship a few weeks ago against Georgia. Known for his offensive ingenuity and recruiting prowess, he’s expected to restore LSU’s trademark explosiveness and compete immediately in the SEC West.
LSU’s move is just one headline in a whirlwind coaching cycle. Here are some of the most significant shifts across the country:
Kalen DeBoer was fired by Alabama after a rare down year, and Nebraska wasted no time bringing him in to lead their rebuild, a bold hire that sent shockwaves through both the SEC and Big Ten.
Lance Leipold left Kansas to accept the Iowa head coaching job, bringing his disciplined, developmental approach to the Hawkeyes after turning the Jayhawks into a Big 12 contender.
Lane Kiffin was dismissed at Ole Miss but quickly resurfaced in Tuscaloosa, where he’ll attempt to reignite the Crimson Tide offense as Alabama’s new head coach.
Lance Taylor, after years of steady progress at Western Michigan, was hired by Georgia Tech, where his spread offense could energize a program looking to modernize.
Mike Norvell landed at Kansas State after his tenure at Florida State, while Matt Rhule was fired from Nebraska but quickly picked up by Texas A&M, giving the Aggies a hard-nosed, defensive-minded leader.
Meanwhile, DJ Porter, the former Delaware offensive coordinator who guided the Blue Hens’ high-powered offense through their FBS transition, was tabbed as the new head coach at South Florida, continuing the growing trend of Group of Five programs betting on young, offensive innovators.
With Freeze’s move to LSU, DeBoer in Lincoln, Leipold in Iowa City, and Kiffin taking over Alabama, college football’s coaching map looks drastically different heading into the 2027 season.
It’s a landscape defined by bold hires, quick triggers, and a premium on offensive creativity. For LSU, the expectation is clear: compete for championships immediately.
And for Freeze, never one to shy away from a challenge, it’s exactly the kind of stage he’s been working toward.
“You come to LSU to win titles,” Freeze said. “That’s the goal. That’s the standard. And I’m ready to embrace it.”
| Coach | Prev. School | New School | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Benedict | — | Vanderbilt | Hired |
| A. Carden | — | Coastal Carolina | Hired |
| A. Golesh | USF | Purdue | Hired by Another Team |
| B. Kelly | LSU | — | Retired |
| B. Key | Georgia Tech | Michigan State | Fired |
| B. Odom | Purdue | Missouri State | Fired |
| B. Venables | Oklahoma | Ole Miss | Fired |
| C. Cignetti | Indiana | — | Retired |
| C. Creighton | Eastern Michigan | Kansas | Hired by Another Team |
| C. Klieman | Kansas State | Stanford | Hired by Another Team |
| C. Simons | — | Appalachian State | Hired |
| D. Kohler | — | Eastern Michigan | Hired |
| D. Loggains | Appalachian State | North Texas | Fired |
| D. Porter | Delaware | USF | Hired by Another Team |
| D. VanSumeren | — | Toledo | Hired |
| E. North | — | Colorado State | Hired |
| F. Brown | Syracuse | Rice | Fired |
| G. Kinne | Texas State | San Diego State | Hired by Another Team |
| G. Parker | Troy | Cincinnati | Fired |
| H. Freeze | Auburn | LSU | Hired by Another Team |
| J. Candle | Toledo | Indiana | Hired by Another Team |
| J. Chadwell | Liberty | — | Went to the NFL |
| J. Fisch | Michigan State | — | Went to the NFL |
| J. Norvell | Florida State | Boise State | Hired by Another Team |
| J. Sawvel | Wyoming | Western Michigan | Fired |
| K. DeBoer | Alabama | Nebraska | Fired |
| K. Dillingham | Arizona State | Oklahoma | Hired by Another Team |
| K. Whittingham | Washington | — | Retired |
| L. Kiffin | Ole Miss | Alabama | Fired |
| L. Leipold | Kansas | Iowa | Hired by Another Team |
| L. Taylor | Western Michigan | Georgia Tech | Hired by Another Team |
| M. Elko | Texas A&M | Syracuse | Fired |
| M. Gundy | Missouri State | Texas State | Fired |
| M. Norvell | Florida State | Kansas State | Fired |
| M. Rhule | Nebraska | Texas A&M | Fired |
| R. Douglas | Vanderbilt | Old Dominion | Fired |
| R. Lashlee | SMU | Auburn | Hired by Another Team |
| R. Logan | — | Virginia | Hired |
| R. McKenzie | — | SMU | Hired |
| S. Abell | Rice | — | Went to the NFL |
| S. Beamer | South Carolina | Florida State | Hired by Another Team |
| S. Bryant | — | Troy | Hired |
| S. Danielson | Boise State | Washington | Hired by Another Team |
| S. Lewis | San Diego State | Wyoming | Fired |
| S. MacKenzie | — | South Carolina | Hired |
| T. Beck | Coastal Carolina | Arizona State | Hired by Another Team |
| T. Elliott | Virginia | Liberty | Fired |
| T. Layman | — | South Alabama | Hired |






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