It took only a week for LSU to find an heir apparent to much-maligned former offensive coordinator Gary Crowton.
LSU announced Thursday evening it hired former Louisville and Tulsa coach Steve Kragthorpe to fill the offensive coordinator vacancy.
“This is a great opportunity to join the coaching staff for one of the top programs in college football and to compete in a league as strong and competitive as the [Southeastern Conference],” Kragthorpe said in a news release.
LSU was No. 11 in the SEC in total offense with 341.3 yards per game last season. The Tigers finished fourth in the SEC in rushing offense with 185.7 yards per game but last in the SEC in passing offense with an average of 155.6 yards per game.
Kragthorpe, 45, was one of many candidates for the seat that opened when Crowton stepped down and accepted the same position at Maryland.
“Steve brings to our staff the type of experience necessary to develop quarterbacks,” LSU coach Les Miles said in a news release. “He’s an experienced play-caller who will bring a great deal of enthusiasm and energy to the staff.”
Kragthorpe went 15-21 as head coach at Louisville from 2007 to 2009. He had also coached at Tulsa from 2003 to 2006, where he finished 29-22. Tulsa was a combined 2-21 in 2001 and 2002 prior to Kragthorpe’s arrival.
After leaving Louisville in November 2009, Kragthorpe took the wide receivers job at Texas A&M but left the post, citing family-health reasons.
In addition to the two head coaching jobs, Kragthorpe also worked two seasons in the NFL from 2001 to 2002 as the Buffalo Bills’ quarterbacks coach.
Former NFL and college assistant Scott Loeffler and Louisville offensive coordinator Mike Sanford had also reportedly interviewed with Miles for the job.
Loeffler served as quarterbacks coach at Michigan from 2002 to 2007 before taking the same position for the Detroit Lions in 2008. He was most recently the quarterbacks coach at Florida for two seasons.
Sanford had experience in the NFL as the Chargers’ wide receivers coach from 1999 to 2001 and went 15-43 as UNLV’s head coach from 2005 to 2009.
TCU co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente was also reportedly in the mix, though it is unclear if LSU actually met with him. The Horned Frogs ranked No. 12 in the nation in total offense with 476.8 yards per game last season.
 
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