LSU Athletics
By Chris Marler
LSU is currently in their villain era.
An offseason full of great hires with checkered pasts and suboptimal exit strategies has led to a 180 in the national perception of LSU as a school and program. Their Mount Rushmore of polarizing personalities and perennial winners has rubbed almost everyone the wrong way.
Lane Kiffin’s break-ups, Kim Mulkey’s antics and Will Wade’s recruiting tactics have led to a universal disdain for the way things are being done down in the bayou.
It shouldn’t be a shock that it’s happened. It is, however, a shock at how quickly it happened.
Seven years ago, LSU felt like America’s team. The 2019 football season created a cast of characters that were universally loved. Two elite wide receivers teaching the country, and eight year old white kids everywhere, how to do the Griddy. Joe Burrow threw for a million touchdowns and a bazillion yards in Joe Brady’s offense. And a cartoonish coach with a barrel chest and a voice so over-the-top it barely sounded real, roaming the sidelines.
The world fell in love with LSU. The world also fell in love with Coach Ed Orgeron.
Still one of my favorites of coach O is that he cut down his Red Bull drinking during retirement to 5-6 a day.
During his peak as a coach he would drink 12-15 😭
That number might be going back up now that he’s back on staff at LSU. https://t.co/7o5JhdVZR9 pic.twitter.com/YgZmVXVDE4
— Random SEC (@therandomsec) May 21, 2026
Less than 2 seasons after arguably the greatest season in college football history, Orgeron was fired. His tenure came to an end, but his love for the school and state he hailed from never did.
Orgeron jokingly tells the story of learning he was going to be fired and, after hearing the size of his severance package, responding to LSU officials, “What time do you want me to leave, and what door do you want me out of, brother?” But for him, it was never really about the $17 million buyout. It was about his love for LSU and the state of Louisiana.
Someone told me when I moved here, “If you love Louisiana, it will love you back.” Nobody loves the state of Louisiana like Ed Orgeron does. Hell, nobody may love anything the way Ed Orgeron loves Louisiana.
Coach O talking about Louisiana is Special@reeses pic.twitter.com/nXpgBrPOzR
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) May 22, 2026
Now, Orgeron is back in Baton Rouge. He’ll be in a much different role than the one before. He won’t be making $17 million, either. He’ll be making $100,000. That probably won’t matter much to Ed Orgeron, because he’ll be back doing what he loves, in the state he loves, surrounded by the people he loves.
Will it be a little weird or awkward at times? Maybe. But the positives seem to far outweigh any potential negatives. LSU would be adding another heavyweight to an already loaded staff, and, strangely enough, Coach O’s return could even be a PR boost for the program. That’s a win, too.
Orgeron’s actual title is “Special Assistant to Recruiting and Defense.” That’s where he shines, and with him on the staff, LSU has a chance to do the same. Orgeron will recruit this state better than anyone else imaginable. He will also be hands-on with a freshman defensive line class that has a chance to be one of the best in program history.
That feels like a win for everyone in purple and gold.
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