LSU Football: When will the Tigers fire Ed Orgeron?
By Zach Ragan
Unless LSU Football wins out the rest of the season, Ed Orgeron isn’t going to be the head coach of the Tigers next season.
The 42-21 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night in Lexington essentially sealed Orgeron’s fate.
LSU is now 3-3 this season with losses to UCLA, Auburn, and Kentucky.
The Tigers are also 8-8 since winning the national championship less than two years ago.
It’s inevitable at this point that LSU athletic director Scott Woodward will make a coaching change.
But when will he make the move?
When should LSU Football fire Ed Orgeron?
Deciding when to fire Orgeron isn’t an easy decision.
The Tigers are in the midst of a tough stretch on their schedule. It’s possible that LSU could be 3-7 heading into the final two weeks of the season (upcoming games are against Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Arkansas).
Woodward obviously doesn’t want the wheels to fall off the program.
So what’s the best move for the rest of the season? Letting Orgeron continue to run things with a dark cloud over the program? Or should the program go with an interim head coach?
Teams usually see a bit of a spark when playing for an interim coach (ironically, Orgeron has provided that spark twice — at USC and LSU — in his career), so that’s something to keep in mind.
I think LSU should give Orgeron the next two games to try to turn things around. Those games — against Florida and Ole Miss — look like losses right now. If LSU emerges from that stretch with a .500 record, then I think you let Orgeron continue coaching, since a bowl game would still be attainable.
However, if LSU goes 0-2 over the next two games, dropping the Tigers to 3-5 on the season, then I think it would be the right time to fire Orgeron and go with wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph as the interim head coach (Joseph has head coaching experience and he’s currently the assistant head coach).
LSU has a lot of talent on the roster — the next head coach in Baton Rouge should be able to find some immediate success. But it’s important right now that the program doesn’t implode.
Woodward has plenty of experience when it comes to hiring and firing coaches, so I have faith he’ll make the move at the appropriate time.
These next couple of weeks will be huge for the future of the LSU football program.