I am not a journalist.  I have no sources and I do no reporting.  So if you don't like wild ass speculating, just skip on down to the next post.  However, this is just my wild ass guess on what is happening to the coaching staff and who will be running the Tigers offense next season.  It's an amalgamation of internet rumors and complete fabrication, but what the hey?  You've been warned. 

First off, let's review what we absolutely know.  McCarthy and Porter are both out, under entirely different circumstances.  This means the WR and RB coach jobs are officially open, though Wilson has been officially named the new RB coach. 

On more hazy news, two separate news outlets have reported two different guys have been hired as the new WR coach: Billy Gonzales and Tyke Tolbert.  Neither has been officially announced, but the Gonzales story was far better sourced and seems rock solid.  Let's make the assumption that Gonzales is on the staff.

Now, let's try and sort through the rumors.  Footballscoop, a website that is even more unreliable than we are, is reporting that OL coach Greg Studwara is going to join Porter's staff in Memphis as the OC.  Our offensive line was a massive disappointment this season, but I'd hate for that to stain his entire career.  He's been a good coach his entire career, he's entitled to a bad year.  But it makes sense that Porter would take at least one guy he knows with him, so I'm going to believe this story, meaning we have another hole to fill. 

It's no secret that I believe Crowton should be fired.  Nothing personal, but if you're the OC of the 108^th ranked scoring offense at a BCS school, you get fired.  That's how it works.  If you run an offense this dysfunctional at any school, you deserve to get canned.  Sorry. 

Now, I have no idea who the new OL coach will be, but I have a hunch we have already hired a new OC.  His name is either Gonzales or Tolbert.  Now, some rumors  have it that the deal with Tolbert has fallen through.  This is certainly possible.  He's a year or two away from an NFL pension, and who wants to leave money on the table?  It's also a lateral move from WR to WR coach, only he's stepping down from the pros to college.  So, if Tolbert is out, I understand.

However, it is also quite possible that Tolbert is still on board.  LSU cannot officially announce it has hired an NFL coach until after the NFL season.  Well, they could, but that would screw over Tolbert and put LSU on shaky ground with the NFL.  Tolbert will be free from his contract in a few weeks and then can announce he has a new job (if he has it).  From LSU's perspective, it cannot wait to get a WR coach or more importantly, a big recruiter which necessitated the Gonzales hire.  Simply put, we couldn't wait.

However, this does not preclude hiring Tolbert AFTER the NFL season ends.  The thing is, that means we have two WR coaches, which means one of them will get the promotion to OC.  Both are fine candidates.  Gonzales was the front runner for the Florida OC job after Mullen left and is probably making a lateral move because of the snub.  Or he's moving to be the OC and it's not a lateral move.  Tolbert is making a lateral move because he's an LSU alum.  Or he's coming to be the OC.  Or he's not coming at all and there really is a dispute over money. 

I think it's that we had to get a recruiter in here now, so we hired Gonzales, but we still want Tolbert.  Given his connection to the school, I think he will take the WR job in a few weeks, albeit with a pay bump, and Gonzales will take over as the OC, because I can't see why he would make a lateral move just out of spite. 

Call it a hunch (well, because otherwise it's just a guess).  But I think Crowton is out, seeing as his whole staff has just been gutted.  I think Tolbert is still in the fold, we're just delaying the hire until after the NFL season.  And I think we've already hired our new OC: Billy Gonzales.  I'm probably wrong, but from reading the tea leaves, I am pretty excited about the staff changes so far.