Coach O named LSU Head Football Coach

You have to give it to Ed Orgeron.

After approximately 12 seasons under former coach Les Miles’ pro-style offense, Orgeron promised changes to the Tiger offense when he was handed control of the team on September 26.

The school was choosing between Orgeron and Houston head coach Tom Herman, who is expected to take the job at Texas after Charlie Strong was sacked on Saturday.

Coach Ed Orgeron, a Louisiana native, will be the 33rd head coach of the LSU Tigers football coach.

Yes, he was brilliant as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and his gaudy offensive numbers the last two seasons as Houston’s head coach seem to indicate that.

This marked the second winning interim stint at a major program for Orgeron, who went 6-2 at USC after Lane Kiffin was sacked in 2013.

It’s as simple as that, 1-2-3. Kiffin and Orgeron were assistants together on Pete Carroll’s USC staff. Resentment between players and coaches is the only thing that will sink a blue-blood like LSU.

I’ve dumped enough cold water on this hire, so let’s take a look at a few of the positives of the move.

“I love the hire, great guy”, said Clark Gauthreaux. “And I learned about that”. He’s always going to be with me. We have to get players that are very similar to the benchmark of this conference. Chris Low spent a weekend with Coach O, watching football, eating gumbo and hearing great stories. We’re happy that Dave is an LSU Tiger, I promise you that. “I plan to do the same”. He didn’t get back into coaching until he joined Orgeron at USC in 2013.

LSU’s wins with Coach O as the top shelf guy were over Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas A&M, probably the most noteworthy outing of that bunch as they hung 54 on the Aggies. He added that LSU is willing to pay handsomely to land the best coaching staff it can, which he believes Orgeron can deliver.

The LSU Tigers continue to target Houston’s Tom Herman to be their next head coach.

Orgeron was asked about his offensive philosophy and the reports that he’s be pursuing Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.

The Longhorns completed their season Friday night with a 31-9 loss to TCU. That’s exactly what happened: Texas announced Strong’s firing on Saturday morning. Everywhere he’s been he’s tried to get me to go with him.

LSU ranks 10 in offensive yards per play, up from 70 when Miles was sacked after four games.

But LSU scored at least 38 points in each of Orgeron’s five wins, despite the lack of a 100-percent healthy Leonard Fournette most of the year. He won the five games by an average margin of victory of almost four touchdowns – 217 to 130, including a 54-39 win over No. 22 Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night. Orgeron said he expects to be judged by how the Tigers do against the Tide in the future.

“By the end of that process, our decision was clear”, Alleva said in a university release. He is the 33rd head coach in LSU football history.

The rebuttal: Even without LSU having no success moving the ball against one of the nation’s best defenses, no team this season shut out Alabama for three quarters and still had it at a one-possession game deep into the final quarter.

It can not be understated, but players love playing for Orgeron. Despite disappointing records in recent seasons, this is not a rebuilding job that will require long-term patience. However, the fact remains that they’re still on a six-game losing streak to Alabama, and that’s where Orgeron says he welcomes the challenge every year.

Alleva asserted that there is ample evidence that Orgeron has grown since then.