I’d like to say that I’m a fan of zero humans in the SEC, but I’ve had a soft spot for (now) LSU head coach Ed Orgeron for years. Where Les Miles was the face and brains of the football program, Orgeron was the grit. His passion for the sport combined with his iconic raspy voice and square head put him on my list of favorite CFB coaches (which is a list shorter than Arya Stark’s one). Oregon played as a DL at LSU for one season and completed his career at Northwestern State University, from which he graduated in 1983.
His first coaching stint was at his alma mater where he earned a spot as a GA in 1984. He continued his GA work at McNeese State for one season before switching to strength coaching at the University of Arkansas from 1986-87. Orgeron moved on to the University of Miami where he coached the defensive line, recruited Dwayne Johnson, and helped the team earn two national championships in 1989 and 1991. Orgeron stayed with the program from 1988-92 before taking a break from coaching due to personal and legal issues. After a two year hiatus, Orgeron volunteered as the linebackers coach at Nicholls State University and then took a job at Syracuse University where he coached the defensive line from 1995-97. His time at USC began in 1998 where he coached the defensive line and was eventually promoted to the recruiting coordinator and associate head coach under Pete Carroll until he left in 2004. During Orgeron’s work at USC, the Trojans won two AP national championships. Ole Miss hired Orgeron as their new head coach in 2005, but he struggled to incorporate successful offensive schemes and was ultimately fired in 2007. The next year, Orgeron was named defensive line coach of the New Orleans Saints, but he moved to Tennessee to become the team’s associate head coach, defensive line coach, and recruiting coordinator under Lane Kiffin (BARF) in 2009. In 2010, he returned to USC as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator and was named interim head coach in 2013 after the school fired Lane Kiffin (BARF AGAIN BUT HAHA). Orgeron attempted to earn the Trojans’ permanent head coaching position, but was passed over in favor of Steve Sarkisian so he eventually resigned. Orgeron returned to LSU in 2015 as the team’s defensive line coach and he was named interim head coach after the firing of Les Miles. Fortunately, his dream came true when the university named him head coach in 2016. Although his head coaching record is 22-29, Orgeron has one bowl game win under his belt and I’m expecting great strategies from him in the years to come!
