Coach O is Out at LSU, Just Not for a While
Most LSU watchers thought Head Football Coach Ed Orgeron had bought himself a little more time after his Tigers upset the University of Florida Saturday in Baton Rouge.
And maybe he did. At least five more games.
According to numerous sources, Orgeron and LSU have agreed to part ways at the end of the current season, just two years after "Coach O' led the Tigers to a National Championship and what was arguably the greatest season by a team in college football history.
But those reports also say that Orgeron will be allowed to remain in his head coaching position through the end of the current season.
For Orgeron, it all unraveled rapidly. After a disappointing 5 - 5 COVID shortened season in 2020, the Tigers got off to a disappointing start this year, looking disorganized and indifferent at times, before the 49 - 42 win over the Gators pushed them above the .500 mark at 4 - 3.
Regarding the move, Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellinger said that the coach and the university “have reached a separation agreement."
But S.I. also says the dismissal goes beyond football. "Orgeron is 49-17, but is 9-8 since the championship. However, this goes beyond on-field results. A strained relationship between coach and administration - rooted in team management and public/private behavior - has warped into an untenable situation, distrust and outbursts."
Meanwhile, with every loss, beginning with a season opening defeat at UCLA and culminating with a whipping at the hands of perennial SEC doormat, Kentucky, cries for Orgeron's dismissal grew.
A number of reports add that the school will pay Orgeron his entire buyout, said to be more than $17 million. Orgeron has had the LSU head job since 2016 when he took over as interim head coach, replacing Les Miles, who had been dismissed in mid-season.