Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron are back together again. LSU announced on Wednesday evening that it was bringing back its former head coach.
He will serve as a special assistant to recruiting and the defense, marking his first return to football since he was fired by LSU after posting an overall record of 51-20 over six seasons (2016-21). That included the legendary 2019 team, widely considered the best college football team of all time.
Legendary quarterback Joe Burrow was taking the snaps for that group that went 15-0, too, largely thanks to Orgeron's recruiting efforts to get him to Baton Rouge. Now, Orgeron will have the chance to expound upon that with a familiar face.
Kiffin addressed the hiring of Orgeron in a statement sent out by LSU shortly after the news broke.
“I’m excited to bring coach Orgeron back to LSU,” Kiffin said. “He brings us tremendous value with his ability to recruit elite players nationally, but especially the impact he can have for us recruiting the great state of Louisiana. Coach O understands my expectations and commitment to being a championship program. I look forward to seeing him with recruits and his intensity working with our defensive players.”
Can Ed Orgeron recapture the lightning in a bottle at LSU?
It has been a long time since the Louisiana native Orgeron took the sidelines in Baton Rouge -- and it's been even longer since he and Kiffin were on the same football field. It all started during their first stint at USC in 2001 under Pete Carroll. Together, that group won two national titles.
From there, both coaches would end up at Ole Miss at separate times, but nearly collided there as well. Truthfully, that term is actually putting it lightly. Orgeron left Carroll's staff -- and Kiffin -- behind in 2004 to accept the Rebels head coaching job.
Orgeron attempted to bring Kiffin on as his offensive coordinator, though the move ultimately did not go through. That would not be the end of the road for these two, though, after Orgeron was hired by Kiffin himself this time as his associate head coach, defensive line coach, and recruiting coordinator. It didn't last long, though, as Kiffin resigned after just one 7-6 season to take the head coach opening at USC.
After Kiffin accepted the offer in 2010, he brought Orgeron with him as his recruiting coordinator and defensive coordinator. Orgeron became one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the now-defunct Pac-12 Conference under Kiffin, earning $650,000 per year. Kiffin was fired in 2013, and Orgeron resigned when the Trojans chose to hire Steve Sarkisian instead.
Coach O accepted a job on Les Miles' staff as LSU's defensive line coach afterward, quickly working his way up to the top position. In a way, it feels like a full-circle moment as the Tigers enter one of their most exciting eras in coaching, with women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey, men's basketball coach Will Wade, and this pair all in Baton Rouge.
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