Prior to Friday evening, the probability of Ed Orgeron retaining the head coaching job at Louisiana State appeared just as likely as Charlie discovering a golden ticket for the Chocolate Factory. Tom Herman, now the Texas Longhorns’ head coach and ex-Houston Cougars’ lead dog, was reportedly in talks with LSU before its game against Texas A&M and expected to garner heavy consideration for the job.
However, once Charlie Strong was fired, Herman backed out in favor of Texas, leaving Orgeron as the clear-cut candidate to lead the program full-time. While some college football fanatics backed the decision, many scrutinized and criticized athletic director Joe Alleva and his fellow LSU athletic department officials. Here’s the PG-rated version.
https://twitter.com/Szymanski96/status/802512520971976704
https://twitter.com/MichaelJMandell/status/802525509007581184
Ed Orgeron will never out coach Nick Saban. Bad hire. They'll be looking for a new coach in 2-3 years
— Feen (@The_Feen) November 26, 2016
Wonder if LSU gave Mike MacIntyre a look for a potential hire? Ed Orgeron is such a bad and lazy hire for a school like LSU.
— Jeff (@jamfan40) November 27, 2016
Overall, these spectators stand in harmony with the notion that since Orgeron’s credentials don’t pop out with the likes of Ohio State’s Urban Meyer or Alabama’s Nick Saban, he won’t generate success during his five-year contract. However, LSU didn’t need a sexy hire. Instead, the 15-year collegiate coach should be receiving a backing due to an unheralded way of manning the sidelines, along with a polar opposite mindset to LSU’s former head coach Les Miles.
Throughout this season, the mantra surrounding Orgeron was his ability to connect with the Tigers’ roster as the interim head coach, notching a 5-2 record in the process. Before his days as the man in charge at USC, former student athletes couldn’t say the same. As Ole Miss’ head coach from 2005 to 2007, his demeanor was equivalent to a Mike Ditka on steroids. In fact, he challenged a few of his own players to brawl. Shockingly, they declined.
Although fans can’t completely blame a coach’s temper on their team’s final results, Orgeron’s fiery approach wasn’t weaved together with a truck full of wins. In his three seasons with the Rebels, he compiled a 10-27 mark. Hence, an athletic department is bound to see a conflict when the boss can’t deliver a game plan suitable for the personnel, but still approves of consistently drilling the concerns into their heads.
Fast-forward six years. When Lane Kiffin was relieved of his duties at Southern Cal, the Trojans promoted the then-assistant coach to take over as head coach. From then on, Orgeron altered the way he tackled the position, growing into a players’ coach.
Keep Coach O!! You Hear It!!!! pic.twitter.com/v93c01Ii6N
— Duke Riley (@1Goal1Dream) November 25, 2016
That identity was wholeheartedly recognized on Thursday night. Following the 54-39 win over the Aggies, school officials reportedly heard players chanting the coach’s name in the locker room. Two days later, Orgeron accepted the position. Rightfully so, Alleva and company couldn’t muddle with unity, led by a man displaying an amplitude of maturity.
Whoa. Someone recognized their flaws and changed. Imagine that. Sadly, while collecting millions of dollars, those who rule the sports world fail to accept adaptation. Miles is a prime example.
In his tenure with the Tigers, Miles was known for desiring a downhill rushing attack, which was a large determinant in his firing. Winning 77 percent of his games wasn’t going to dissolve his stubbornness, playing a large part in former offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s struggles.
Over their first four contests of the season, LSU averaged a respectable 5.57 yards per carry, but the switch to Orgeron fired up the running game’s production. In the final seven regular season games, the unit racked up 6.34 yards per attempt. Exclude the matchup versus Alabama, who’s allowing the lowest rushing yards per game in the country, and that number spikes up (7.2 YPC).
https://vine.co/v/5w2LZl6Q1DK
Furthermore, the offense produced about 11 points more per contest under offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger, for whom Orgeron advocated and promoted from coaching tight ends after taking as head coach.
“In this league, you still win with defense and running the ball,” Alleva said following Orgeron’s press conference. “It’s how you run the ball.”
Under Ensminger, LSU is utilizing the spread-option, which the majority of college football teams now run. Plus, his willingness to exhibit creativity in the play-calling department, such as with a simple stretch-run or play-action, allowed the Tigers’ offensive arsenal to blossom.
Take sophomore tailback Darius Guice, who presumably will inherit the starting role from the likely NFL Draft-bound Leonard Fournette. In his previous two contests, he ran for at least 250 yards per game, scoring six touchdowns over that span. On top of that, he notched a school-record 285 yards against Texas A&M. Moreover, his obvious explosiveness from the handoff benefited from Miles’ absence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCoHZHVHIeQ
It’s unclear if Orgeron will draw the necessary hand to reel OC Lane Kiffin from arch-rival Alabama, but their previous experience with one another immediately strengthens LSU’s chances. This season, the Crimson Tide rank No. 19 in DI scoring offense, manufacturing 39.3 points per contest. Considering Kiffin’s track record with spread offenses, the Tigers’ now-No. 67 scoring offense in the nation would see a dramatic boost in efficiency.
Defensively, the Tigers yielded a mere 16.4 points per contest, good for No. 7 in the country. That’s not only a credit to defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, but also Orgeron, the team’s defensive line coach prior to his promotion.
Additionally, the perception of Orgeron’s recruiting history was a factor in LSU’s decision to rip the interim tag off him. Partially thanks to Miles, the Tigers will haul in the now-No. 6 recruiting class in 2017. Still, Orgeron was a recruiting coordinator under Pete Carroll in his first stint at USC and clearly understands the concept. Over his years, he helped bring in talents like offensive tackle Michael Oher, wide receiver Mike Wallace and defensive tackle Leonard Williams.
Most recently, he won the war against Herman and the Longhorns, obtaining a commitment from four-star safety Caden Sterns, a Texas native. Don’t dismiss the Tigers’ well-established culture from aiding the recruiting operations, either.
“Sometimes, your best recruiters are the kids on campus,” Alleva told reporters. “The players on this team have really bought into him.”
There’s more than a month until the offseason officially kicks off, but Orgeron won’t receive a vacation before he’s judged on a minute-by-minute basis. With a 7-4 record, LSU will earn a bowl game invitation. Nonetheless, given his prosperity in adjusting under pressure, Orgeron should stiff-arm the critics once again.
