Let's face it Brandon Harris has the higher ceilings. I don't think Caneron wanted to put too much on Harris's plate. It says a lot about what they think of Harris to start him against Auburn.
Talking with someone the other day who had coached at a number of schools in the SEC. He said Chief is the best DC in the Sec and one of the best in the Nation
I think he's trying to get paid and you really can't blame him, especially when other teams are contacting him.
I think he really wants to get locked into years, multi years should keep teams away from him. He likes where he is, what he's doing, and who he's working with and under. He really enjoys BTR and working with Les. Longevity is what he's looking for at LSU. He's 58 years old, he's enjoying what he's doing. He sees this as the best college job around.
It’s a challenge. Notre Dame runs a spread offense and Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly has indicated he will continue to use two quarterbacks, Everett Golson and Malik Zaire, in the bowl game. But Chavis has seen it all before. In the SEC West, he coaches against everything from Alabama’s pro-style offense to Texas A&M’s spread to Auburn’s quick-fire read-option. Chavis not only has survived but thrived. He’s at his best when matching his Xs against the offense’s Os. “You talk to people in the coaching profession and you find out very quickly what a great reputation John has,” said Fulmer, who became Tennessee’s head coach in 1993 and elevated Chavis from linebacker coach to defensive coordinator two years later. “He’s a bright guy who stays ahead of the game. He did a fantastic job for me and he’s done a fantastic job at LSU.” In a college football world of high-flying, point-scoring offenses, those that can provide a defensive counterpunch are coveted — and paid accordingly. A study by USA Today found that 12 of the 15 highest paid assistant coaches in the country this season were defensive coordinators. Chavis, 58, is among them. With an annual salary of $1.3 million, he is tied for third among assistant coaches this year. Now the bar is being set higher. After Will Muschamp was fired as head coach at Florida, it didn’t take him long to make a soft landing. He went on a brief vacation, realized he wanted to get back in the game and quickly signed up as defensive coordinator at Auburn for $1.7 million a year. It’s a sign of the times. If you’ve got a top defensive coordinator, you do whatever you can to keep him. If you are shopping for one of these sharp defensive minds, you’re willing to write a big check. And make no mistake: Chavis is in demand. Texas A&M is interested. And the Aggies aren’t alone. Although he has one year remaining on his contract at LSU, there are reports the Tigers have put together a three-year, $4 million extension to keep him in Baton Rouge. “There’s a philosophy that says when you have good people, you invest in them,” LSU coach Les Miles said last week. “It’s a pretty good staff. It costs money to have them here. It’s one of the reasons why we win.” It’s nice to be wanted. There is a perception out there that Chavis never wanted to be a head coach and was content being a lifelong assistant. Fulmer says that’s not the case. “John has interviewed for some head coaching jobs and looked into things, but I don’t think the right opportunity has come up,” Fulmer said. “He keeps those things quiet because he’s not a self-promoter.” Just the same, it appears Chavis has found his life’s calling as a defensive coordinator. Doug Mathews, who worked on the same Vols coaching staff with Chavis in 1990, believes he is cut from the same cloth as assistant coaching legends like Ken Donahue at Alabama, Charlie McBride at Nebraska and Mickey Andrews at Florida State. “John’s strength is the day-to-day work of coaching — dealing directly with players in meetings and on the practice field, teaching, motivating, doing all the little things,” said Mathews, now a Nashville businessman and sports radio host. “As an assistant coach, you can’t beat him.” Chavis has a work ethic like few others. He is a product of his youth. He grew up poor, the son of sharecroppers in Dillon, S.C., where he worked the tobacco fields. After gouging out weeds between plants that were taller than him in the stifling heat and humidity of summer, football was a release. He walked on at Tennessee in 1976 and later earned a scholarship. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at UT in 1979. He worked his way up the coaching ranks, returning to his alma mater as defensive line coach in 1990. His impact in the Vols’ success in the 1990s and 2000s was profound. When Chavis worked as defensive coordinator on staffs with Fulmer as head coach and David Cutcliffe as offensive coordinator during a seven-year period, the Vols went a combined 63-13 (.829). With Chavis’ blessing, players at his various coaching stops along the way have referred to him by the politically incorrect nickname “Chief,” a reference to his mother’s Cherokee heritage. With his tough but fair approach to coaching, Chavis engenders loyalty and commitment among his players. “You can have the greatest strategy and the greatest players in the world, but it doesn’t matter if they don’t play hard for you,” Fulmer said. “John has a gift for getting guys to play hard.” It’s a gift that keeps on giving.
It's also being reported A&M has offered Pruitt from UGA, why I have no idea, and a name to watch out for is The Chiz mopper. LSU needs to pay John Chavis and take it out of Les money if they have to. Chavis has been the ONLY thing keeping LSU and Les from being an SEC West cellar dweller.
