LSU Football: 5 coaches who should NOT replace Ed Orgeron if Tigers are forced to make a change

Before we get too far into this, I know there will be some strong reactions from a headline suggesting that LSU football head coach Ed Orgeron could be on his way out.

I don’t necessarily think Coach O is going anywhere.

But at the same time, it wouldn’t shock me.

Orgeron and LSU are in the middle of a controversial Title IX investigation that centers around the program’s handling of multiple sexual misconduct cases that involves 10 players (nine of which played for Orgeron).

Coach O is also involved in a 2017 allegation that centers around former Tigers running back Derius Guice and a 74-year-old Superdome employee.

Orgeron submitted a written statement this week to a Louisiana state Senate committee where he denies speaking with Gloria Scott, the 74-year-old Superdome employee that Guice allegedly sexually harassed.

I don’t know where this scandal goes from here, but I think the possibility that Orgeron ends up having to step down is at least a scenario that LSU fans should have in the back of their mind. You can read more about the scandal in-depth here (via WBRZ).

If that happens, this isn’t exactly an ideal time to hire a head coach. The most likely scenario is that LSU would try to find a coach who could lead the team for 2021, before looking for a long-term replacement after this upcoming season (or maybe Orgeron is just forced to step away while the lawsuits are settled).

And if that’s something the Tigers are forced to do, there are five coaching options that I think LSU should absolutely not consider.

Option 1: Steve Ensminger — LSU analyst/former Tigers offensive coordinator

There aren’t many folks who know LSU football better than Steve Ensminger, a Baton Rouge native who played for the Tigers from 1976-1979.

Ensminger served on LSU’s staff from 2010-2020 as an on-field assistant. He took over as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator in 2018. After the 2020 season, Ensminger “retired” and took a role on Orgeron’s staff as an analyst.

It’s clear from Ensminger’s decision to retire that he simply doesn’t have the energy to be a full-time college football assistant anymore. Ensminger is 62 and he’s been involved in college and professional football in some capacity for the last 45 years. While Ensminger knows the landscape of the SEC as well as anyone, I don’t think he’d bring the energy required to coach a football program in 2021.

Youthful energy is something that Orgeron made a priority this past offseason. Ensminger wouldn’t necessarily fit in with the new revamped LSU coaching staff.