LSU Football: A scenario where Ed Orgeron could return to coaching in 2022
By Zach Ragan
Ed Orgeron isn’t returning as LSU football‘s head coach in 2022.
Coach O and LSU agreed to part ways after the season, thanks to a lackluster 2020 season and an underwhelming start to the 2021 season.
After the announcement was made, Orgeron spoke to the media and told reporters that he plans on taking next season off.
That seems like a logical move for an ousted head coach.
But there’s at least one scenario where I think Orgeron could return to the sidelines in 2022.
Could Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron coach together again?
Orgeron and Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin have been friends since their early USC days.
Coach O joined Kiffin at Tennessee in 2009. He then followed Kiffin to USC (where Orgeron ended up taking over as the interim head coach when Kiffin was fired).
It seems inevitable that their paths will cross again (Kiffin was almost hired as LSU’s offensive coordinator in 2017 when Kiffin took the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic).
Now, that’s obviously not going to happen at Ole Miss. Orgeron was the Rebels’ head coach from 2005-2007. He was fired after going 10-25.
But what if Kiffin leaves Oxford for another job?
Specifically, what if Kiffin leaves Ole Miss for Miami?
There’s a report floating around that Kiffin would be interested in coaching the Hurricanes if Miami fires Manny Diaz (which is entirely possible, considering Miami just fired athletic director Blake James this week).
SLATER SCOOP: Lane Kiffin would leave Ole Miss for the University of Miami if the Hurricanes head coaching job were to open, multiple sources close to Kiffin tell me.
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) November 18, 2021
Kiffin at Miami would be fun. He seems like one of the few coaches who could bring “The U” back to prominence.
And if Kiffin landed in South Beach, I could definitely see Orgeron — one of the best recruiters in the history of college football — taking over as the Hurricanes’ defensive line coach.
Orgeron was at Miami from 1988-1992. He took a leave of absence from the Hurricanes in later 1992, not returning to coaching until 1994 with Nicholls State.
A Kiffin/Orgeron combination at Miami could be bad news for the ACC.
Next. Legendary coaches who would've been fired by today's standards. dark
Going back to Miami would essentially be Orgeron’s career coming full circle. And it’s probably the only scenario where I could see Orgeron coaching in 2022.