Why LSU football and Lane Kiffin don't need Frank Wilson

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LSU football and Ole Miss made waves on the coaching carousel yet again on Tuesday. It was reported that LSU interim head coach Frank Wilson would depart LSU after the bowl game, accepting a spot on Pete Golding’s Ole Miss staff.

When new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin arrived in Baton Rouge, some viewed Wilson as a strong candidate to be retained. But days passed without a resolution and it became clear that Wilson wasn’t included in Kiffin’s future plans.

Wilson is viewed as an ace recruiter in the state of Louisiana, specifically the city of New Orleans, where Wilson rose to prominence as a high school coach before jumping to the college ranks.

When the news hit on Tuesday, there was plenty of speculation about how this move would affect recruiting at Ole Miss and LSU. Wilson is considered a big-time get for the Rebels and Ole Miss is hoping Wilson can deliver direct blows to LSU’s recruiting efforts in Louisiana.

But I’m here to tell you to relax. The world is not ending. Wilson is a good recruiter, a really good one. He’s signed a handful of blue-chip recruits in Louisiana over the years and helped LSU win a lot of games. Wilson has served two stints at LSU. One from 2010-15 and another from 2021 to now. LSU has played football for over 125 years — most of those years were without Frank Wilson. Yet LSU still managed to sign Louisiana’s best.

When LSU signed five-star Marcus Spears in 2001, Wilson was still coaching high school football. When LSU signed Ja’Marr Chase in 2018, Frank Wilson was at UTSA. Wilson was still at UTSA when LSU signed five-star Derek Stingley in 2019. The core of LSU’s national title team in 2019 was not recruited by Wilson. The same could be said for the championship teams in 2003 and 2007.

None of this is meant to slight Wilson. Wilson’s presence has never hampered LSU’s ability to win football games. He’s one of the best at what he does. I’m simply saying he’s not the only man who can recruit New Orleans. Plenty of assistants with ties to New Orleans have come and gone, and yet, LSU still manages to get the best players New Orleans has to offer.

That doesn’t mean LSU can be complacent. Kiffin’s staff still needs to push the right buttons and build relationships in New Orleans and throughout the state. But recruiting has changed. Relationships aren’t without meaning in the world of NIL, but they aren’t as important as having a top-notch money operation. LSU and Kiffin will continue to recruit Louisiana as long as they aren’t negligent in the relationship department and do what they’re supposed to do when it comes to NIL.

Wilson will be missed at LSU, but this isn’t the blow some think it to be.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Why LSU football and Lane Kiffin don’t need Frank Wilson

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