LSU Finalizes Ed Orgeron's Role As He Returns To Baton Rouge

Ed Orgeron will always be a legend at LSU for what he did for the school in 2019, even if his tenure did end on a rather sour note. But with the school doing everything to empower head coach Lane Kiffin, the administration was happy to welcome him back with a special role at the program.

Last night ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Orgeron is returning to LSU at the behest of Kiffin, who he has a "decades-long relationship" with. Thamel reported that Coach O's new role at the team he once coached will be "special assistant to recruiting and defense."

"Orgeron's role will be special assistant to recruiting and defense for the Tigers," Thamel wrote on Wednesday.

It's a role that suits Coach O well. For decades prior to his legendary tenure at LSU he ranked among the best recruiters in the nation across multiple decades. He developed multiple defensive players into Hall of Fame talents.

But like so many great recruiters and assistants, Orgeron's skill there didn't always translate to being a head coach. He went 10-25 in three seasons at Ole Miss from 2005 to 2007 then 6-2 as interim coach of USC in 2013.

Everything changed once he was promoted to head coach at LSU though.

A happy reunion

After taking over for Les Miles in the middle of the 2016 season, Orgeron was retained as the full-time head coach and showed steady growth from 2017 to 2018.

But in 2019, everything changed forever. Quarterback Joe Burrow had a season for the ages, as did just about everyone on the team, as the Tigers went a perfect 15-0 - knocking off some supremely talented teams in blowout wins - en route to winning the national title.

Unfortunately for Orgeron, a mass exodus of players and assistants ensued and the next two years were rough. He went 11-11 from 2020 to 2021 and was let go after the 2021 season.

But that 2019 season will always make him a hero in Baton Rouge and the rest of Louisiana. No matter how rough things got at the end, he will pretty much always be a beloved figure by fans and alumni.

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 8:33 AM.