Report: Cornerbacks Coach Corey Raymond Leaving LSU for SEC Rival

Raymond had been longest tenured member of Tigers staff, was known as one of great college defensive coaches

The day after Brian Kelly pulled off a huge coup in bringing Frank Wilson back to the LSU staff, there is equal devastation in learning that cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond is out the door. 

Raymond is expected to accept a position as assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach with Florida, according to Matt Zenitz of On3sports. There's no other way to slice than this is a massive blow for the Tigers on a number of fronts. 

For one, LSU loses its longest tenured member of the coaching staff in Raymond, who established himself as one of the great cornerbacks developers and recruiters in college football. Just a few of the players he's helped recruit and develop since joining the program in 2012 are Derek Stingley, Elias Ricks, Kristian Fulton, Grant Delpit, Sage Ryan, Jamal Adams, Tre'Davious White, Donte Jackson, Jay Ward and Cordale Flott.

Losing Raymond to any other program is a massive blow but the fact that he will be joining Billy Napier in Florida offers an in for the Gators in recruiting Louisiana. Raymond has developed some truly special talent with the LSU program and there are a number of prominent recruits on the Tigers' radar who will now be facing some tough decisions.

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Kelly said at his introductory press conference that he hadn't made any decisions on retaining coaches after reports had hinted that Raymond would be staying at LSU.

"I have not made any decisions based upon who will stay and who may go. I haven't had any individual conversations with any of them, so any narrative out there is not coming from any conversations that I've had with them," Kelly said. "They are well-respected and I will get an opportunity to vet out all of those coaches. They've done a great job. I know the business, they know the business. There are realities in this business. But we'll get to all of those coaches because as I mentioned earlier, they have families, they have lives, and we have to get moving in that direction."