LSU football targeting SEC assistant as new DL coach | Reports
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BATON ROUGE – There are only a couple of full-time on-field assistant coaching spots Lane Kiffin has to fill to round out his first staff with LSU football.
One of those position is on the defensive side of the ball along the defensive line. Kiffin has zeroed in on current South Carolina defensive line coach Sterling Lucas to coach the interior defensive linemen, per multiple reports Friday.
LSU is expected to make the hire, but as of Friday, no deal has been finalized.
Shane Beamer hired Lucas back in 2022 to oversee South Carolina’s edge rushers, and he’s recently served as defensive coordinator Clayton White’s defensive run game coordinator. Over the last four seasons, Lucas has lent his tutelage to All-Southeastern-Conference-caliber players in defensive ends Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart.
This year, both Stewart and Bryan Thomas Jr. were named All-SEC.
LSU already has Kevin People coaching the edge rushers, so Lucas is expected to oversee LSU’s interior defensive linemen as part of Kiffin’s staff. Lucas is the last full-time on-field position for Kiffin to fill on his defensive staff.
Kiffin is expected to retain the majority of the current LSU defensive coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker recently signed a three-year contract extension, worth $9.3 million with incentives baked in to make him among the highest-paid assistant coaches in college football.
Peoples, cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond and safeties coach Jake Olsen are expected to stay in Baton Rouge.
LSU’s running backs coaching position remains unfilled, the last spot to complete Kiffin’s first on-field staff. Current interim head coach Frank Wilson, who will coach the Tigers against Houston in the Texas Bowl later this month, is LSU’s current running backs coach but is expected to take a position with Ole Miss‘ staff following the bowl game.
Before South Carolina, Lucas coached in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and before that was in the Baltimore Ravens’ organization for five years.
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football targeting Sterling Lucas for DL coach position | Reports
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