LSU Football: How Pete Carroll knew Ed Orgeron was special back in 2000
By Zach Ragan
LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron spent four seasons coaching under Pete Carroll at USC.
It’s a bit of an understatement to say that LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron is special.
After being hired as LSU’s permanent head coach in late 2016, Orgeron has proved to be a perfect fit in Baton Rouge (it’s hard to argue with a 39-9 record and a spot in the national title game).
That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering Orgeron is a Louisiana native who lives and breathes football.
But while some folks are just now figuring out how special Orgeron is as a football coach, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll knew it back in 2000.
According to The Advocate, Carroll met Orgeron for the second time in 2000 at a state championship game in Anaheim, CA. Carroll, who had just interviewed to be he head coach at USC (where Orgeron was serving as the defensive line coach), told The Advocate that Oregron impressed him with his deep knowledge of every high school player on the field.
Carroll said “I knew that this guy was going to bring me something that I couldn’t get otherwise”.
The former Trojans head coach added “When he left and went to Ole Miss, I never felt the same….I felt like we really lost something enormous in the program just because of his heart and soul and everything that he brought.”
Orgeron, who left USC in 2004 to become the head coach at Ole Miss, eventually served as the Trojans’ interim head coach in 2013 (after the firing of Lane Kiffin). Despite many feeling like he should be hired as the program’s permanent head coach, he was passed over in favor of Steve Sarkisian (a move that did not work out).
Watching Ed Orgeron choke up again over not getting the USC job six years later. Says it was the hardest thing since losing his father. Told me the same thing after the Alabama game. What an amazing man.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) January 8, 2020
USC’s misstep, however, was LSU’s gain. The Tigers didn’t make the same mistake as the Trojans. After Orgeron proved his worth as LSU’s interim head coach, he had the interim tag removed in late 2016.
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And oh man has it paid off so far for the Tigers.
I’m guessing Pete Carroll isn’t the least bit surprised to see his former assistant having so much success.