According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Lane Kiffin is working to bring the recently-fired Baylor head coach onto his staff as a defensive analyst, and Dave Aranda has already visited LSU’s football facility.
The 50-year-old was midway through his seventh season when the Bears dismissed him, having compiled a 40-40 record in Waco. He can serve as an additional perspective for current defensive coordinator Blake Baker over the coming weeks. That unit currently ranks 16th nationally in points allowed and fourth in yards allowed, yet the Tigers carry two losses and face a virtual must-win reality.
LSU’s final challenge will come against Arkansas two days after Thanksgiving. With the Tigers having beaten the Hogs in four consecutive years and nine of the last 10 tries, the potential inclusion of Aranda in the Tigers’ defensive strategy room adds to the burden for head coach Ryan Silverfield.
Silverfield Faces Difficult Challenge with Arkansas Offense
Silverfield faces a daunting task with Arkansas’ subpar resources and a porous offense that currently ranks in the triple digits across several statistical categories. Adding a mind like Aranda to the opposing sideline makes that uphill climb even steeper. To counter the move, the Razorbacks could consider recent openings across college sports.
Dave Doeren of North Carolina State, Maryland’s Mike Locksley, Aranda, and Florida State head coach Mike Norvell all joined the Power Four unemployment line on Sunday. Norvell’s dismissal followed an ugly home loss to Clemson.
Silverfield has a direct professional history with Norvell. When Norvell took the Florida State job after the 2019 regular season, Silverfield—who joined Memphis’ inaugural staff in 2016 as the offensive line coach before adding running game coordinator and associate head coach duties—was tabbed as interim head coach for the Cotton Bowl. Silverfield subsequently took over the Memphis program full-time, securing 50 wins over six seasons, though he never matched Norvell’s conference championship glory.
The Saban Blueprint for Staff Reclamation
Across his 17 years in charge of Alabama football, Nick Saban established a well-worn path for coaches seeking rehabilitation after high-profile dismissals. Serving initially as analysts, former head coaches like Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, Mike Locksley, and Bill O’Brien rebuilt their careers in Tuscaloosa before ascending back to top jobs.
Ryan Silverfield talks about his journey from O Line coach and how Mike Norvell got him so excited! Watch the full interview here 👇https://t.co/oOktDDw0it pic.twitter.com/rbbDw8SX8d
Now, Kiffin at LSU and Kirby Smart at Georgia are applying that exact model. Aranda brings a proven defensive pedigree to Baton Rouge, having previously served as a successful coordinator at Wisconsin and LSU, where he helped secure the 2019 national championship. During his prior defensive tenure in Baton Rouge, LSU won all four matchups against Arkansas while holding the Razorbacks to an average of just 14 points per game.
Should sitting playcaller Blake Baker depart during the offseason, Aranda might be a candidate for LSU’s defensive coordinator position, according to Shea Dixon from The Bengal Tiger, which is LSU’s On3 affiliate.
🐯 Could an LSU-Dave Aranda reunion happen?? 🏈 Confirmed reports say that Aranda is on campus and that possibility is not out of the question 🏡 Do business with someone you know#LSUfootball #ParishBuilt pic.twitter.com/4FL2CuA6KE
Weighing Options in Fayetteville
While speculation surrounds the job status of Arkansas offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey, bringing in Norvell to call plays would carry distinct risks. Florida State struggled offensively for much of the past three seasons, and Norvell missed on his transfer portal evaluations at quarterback with DJ Uiagalelei, Thomas Castellanos, and Ashton Daniels.
Even so, the Razorbacks and Silverfield would find having Norvell on board as an analyst for a few weeks to be well worth the effort.
