For those who may have missed it, Coach O has returned to the Bayou Bengals.
That’s right, the LSU Tigers have hired Ed Orgeron to help bolster new head coach Lane Kiffin’s staff, and it’s hard to see any flaws in this move.
It makes sense from a relationship standpoint, as many have reported that Orgeron and Kiffin have a connection that goes back over two decades, when both were on Pete Carroll’s staff at USC.
Head coach Ed Orgeron of the LSU Tigers celebrates after defeating the Clemson Tigers 42-25 in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Jan. 13, 2020. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
You also may have noticed Orgeron coming to Kiffin’s defense after the latter’s comments regarding Ole Miss in Vanity Fair earlier this month.
It seemed reasonable on the surface given the two’s friendship as well as the fact that both coached the Rebels at one point, but with the added context that Orgeron was likely going to take a job on Kiffin’s staff in the coming days, it makes perfect sense.
From a football perspective, though, it’s perhaps even more of a perfect marriage.
It’s no secret that during the Brian Kelly regime, LSU had somewhat lost its Louisiana edge, so to speak.
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Whether that is by design from Kelly, as some would suggest, or just a byproduct of having an “outsider” as a head coach, the contrast between Kelly and Orgeron, who was the coach before Kelly, could not have been more stark.
LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron stands with quarterback Joe Burrow after defeating the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff national championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
When speaking about the differences between Kelly and Kiffin, LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry revealed that Kelly was never a culture fit with the Tigers.
That matters in college football in general, but especially at a unique spot like LSU, and while Ausberry was singing the praises of Kiffin’s ability to connect with boosters, fans and high school athletes in the state of Louisiana, the move to bring in Orgeron was, no doubt, a calculated and strategic one.
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I touched on it briefly in my article discussing Ausberry’s comments last week, but the Tigers experienced a recruiting renaissance with Orgeron at the helm.
A big part of that is because Coach O is known throughout college football as an ace recruiter, but it doesn’t hurt that he has deep ties to the state of Louisiana.
LSU and Kiffin adding Orgeron to their coaching staff immediately addresses the one fatal flaw from the Brian Kelly regime, and the returns should be almost instantaneous.
Five-star wide receiver Easton Royal is a Texas verbal commit, but he’s also a New Orleans native and has been flirting with the Tigers for quite some time now.
It was already believed that he would eventually flip to his home-state program, but bringing Orgeron in should only hasten that process.
I would be shocked if Royal doesn’t end up in LSU’s 2027 recruiting class, but he’s just one of many examples of the Tigers doing everything they can to lock down the state of Louisiana, which has long been known as a per capita hotbed of high school talent.
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LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron reacts before a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Nov. 27, 2021. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
It may not have the raw size or numbers of a Texas, Florida or California, but The Boot has enough talent to make sure LSU never has to wander too far from campus to field an elite recruiting class.
The rest of the SEC is undoubtedly shaking their fists right now, given that Kiffin didn’t need any more help as it stood to get the Tigers’ operation back up and humming.
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If you thought LSU was dangerous before, adding Orgeron to the staff may have just been Kiffin doing a Thanos impression and placing the final Infinity Stone into his gauntlet.
You’ve been warned, SEC fans. Prepare accordingly.
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