NFL Legend Tyrann Mathieu Talks LSU, Coaching Goals, Madden and More in B/R Interview

With its next coaching hire, LSU will be trying to get back to its title-chasing ways from when stars such as Tyrann Mathieu were dominating every Saturday.

So who better than the program icon himself to ask about the coaching search that is generating headlines across college football?

"I think Lane Kiffin is the safest and best hire," Mathieu told Bleacher Report. "Frank Wilson, being the interim coach, I thought that was a great decision by the administration. Frank offers stability and structure going forward, especially with recruiting. Frank has a big imprint on recruiting at LSU.

"I'll also throw out a wild card. If we can get the guy from Arizona State, Kenny Dillingham, that would be a great hire too. He's young, he's energetic. Just hearing him speak about ASU, I think LSU has a little bit more money to throw around. Any one of those three guys, if they were to be hired, I would definitely support it."

Kiffin has been the most high-profile candidate to be consistently connected to the open LSU and Florida jobs. He also has Ole Miss in the middle of the College Football Playoff picture in large part because of his ability to recruit both on the trail and from the transfer portal.

That is surely enticing to the Tigers, who fired Brian Kelly in October and have been among the most disappointing teams in the country this season with a 6-4 record and 3-4 mark in SEC play.

It is a far cry from when Mathieu became a household name in 2011 as an All-American, Heisman Trophy finalist and the Chuck Bednarik Award winner as the nation's best defensive player who helped lead the Tigers to the BCS national championship game.

The electrifying playmaker earned the nickname Honey Badger and remains a program legend. LSU even renamed the players' lounge the Mathieu Players' Lounge at Football Operations following his $1 million donation.

Perhaps given those connections, it shouldn't have been that surprising when Robert Griffin III took to social media in October and said Mathieu expressed interest in becoming his alma mater's next head coach:

While he isn't ready to necessarily throw his name into the LSU search just yet, Mathieu feels he will become a head coach at some point in the future.

"Anybody who knows me, they probably thought I would have already been a coach by now," he said. "But I retired for a reason. I wouldn't want to jump right back into a coaching schedule. But to be honest, that's where my heart is. It's truly where my heart is, and it's been that way for a long time. 

"I think about all the coaches that I've had over the years who have encouraged me and supported me on my journey. I feel like it's my duty to do the same for the next generation. I don't know when, I don't know where. A lot of people ask me 'where do you want to coach? LSU? The NFL level? A high school team?' And the answer is, it doesn't really matter. I just want to be among the right people and in the right situation."

He also specifically mentioned Dennis Allen, Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo as his previous coaches who have consistently offered support and who he would love to eventually work with when he enters the profession.

Allen coached him with the New Orleans Saints, while Reid and Spagnuolo coached him with the Kansas City Chiefs during a career that started when the Arizona Cardinals selected him with a third-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

He played for the Cardinals, Houston Texans, Chiefs and Saints and was a three-time First-Team All-Pro selection, three-time Pro Bowler and member of the Hall of Fame 2010s team. He helped lead Kansas City to the Super Bowl during the 2019 campaign and was known as a turnover-forcing playmaker who anchored multiple secondaries during his 12 seasons.

Mathieu finished with 838 tackles, 36 interceptions, 100 passes defended, eight fumble recoveries, seven forced fumbles and four defensive touchdowns while playing in double-digit games in each of his 12 seasons.

So what does he miss the most when he's watching games in 2025 following his retirement?

"When I see Derek Stingley and guys who I know get their hands on the football when they catch an interception," he said. "Watching the crowd's reaction to those big plays on defense. That's the part of the game I miss. Playing for your teammates, playing for the fans and trying to inspire people. Any time I see one of my old guys make a big play, it always makes me want to be there with them. Because I do miss celebrating my teammates and road wins and big wins in this league."

Mathieu surprised plenty of people in July when he announced his retirement after 12 seasons in the NFL. Considering he had attended the team's veteran minicamp, is just 33 years old and was still a key part of the Saints' defense in 2024, it was not a move anticipated by many.

But that also doesn't mean he has thought about a comeback.

"To be honest, I haven't thought much about it," he said. "I'm enjoying retirement. Obviously, it's a big shift and a big challenge going from having so much structure and knowing what to do with your day to trying to find stuff to do and trying to find ways to keep yourself busy. 

"Thankfully, I've got five kids who do that job no problem. There's always something for me to do. It's an adjustment, but I try my best to lean on the older guys I grew up under in the league. A lot of those guys are retired now, so I reach out to them a lot for encouragement and support."

He will be keeping himself busy in a different way on Thanksgiving as part of the Madden Cast of the AFC North showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

NBC Sports and Peacock is partnering with the NFL, EA Sports and Genius Sports to create the Madden Cast of the game that will blend the live action with elements that resemble the video game with various graphics, animated overlays, player ratings and more.

"This was a no-brainer," Mathieu said of being part of the presentation. "I grew up playing the video game and am obviously a huge fan of it. Outside of that, anytime I get to talk about my peers and praise them or even give them a little bit of critique, I'm always excited about it. It only makes us all better. I'm really looking forward to it."

Mathieu is joining a broadcast team that includes Paul Burmeister, Kurt Benkert, Chad Johnson and Kay Adams. The Madden Cast's primary coverage angle will come from the hi-sky camera behind the quarterbacks, which will be familiar to those who play the famous video game.

"Fans will be most excited about it being different," Mathieu said. "It's not your traditional broadcast. It's all about the players and player ratings and trying to get everybody the best ratings. It's also going to be kid friendly because it will be just like the video game. When they call a play, we'll find a play that's on the video game that matches that same concept. I think it's going to be fun."

Becoming part of the commentary team is a natural next step for the former defensive back, who has been following the NFL this season even after his retirement.

And it is actually a running back and not a defensive player who has stood out the most in his new role as viewer.

"I'm really excited about Jonathan Taylor," Mathieu said. "A running back hasn't won MVP in a while. I think given the fact Patrick Mahomes is not having his greatest season or Josh Allen has not been having his greatest season. Lamar Jackson's been hurt, Joe Burrow's been hurt. This is a perfect opportunity for Jonathan Taylor to kind of steal that award this year. And, really, he wouldn't be stealing it because he's earned it by putting up those numbers in today's game."

Taylor threw himself firmly into the MVP discussion during his last game when he exploded for 244 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries in the Indianapolis Colts' 31-25 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons.

▶️ Full Falcons-Colts Recap

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He turned heads with an 83-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and fittingly ended it with a score in overtime to bring his season totals to 1,139 rushing yards, 260 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns through 10 games as the driving force in the Colts' 8-2 start.

Taylor is fighting an uphill battle since quarterbacks have taken home the award in 12 straight seasons and 17 of the last 18 years.

But he has Mathieu's support.