The LSU athletics program is currently on one of the wildest runs as a whole in a year filled with change. The LSU football team fired Brian Kelly in a season that started with National Championship hopes. After firing Brian Kelly, LSU took the sport by storm, hiring Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss right before the College Football Playoff.
Add in all the chaos with LSU Basketball and LSU Baseball having underwhelming seasons, and it's a wild year like we've never seen before. The Basketball program brought back Will Wade who they fired during his first tenure for cause amid a major recruiting scandal that was caught on FBI wiretaps.
Lane Kiffin brings Ed Orgeron back to LSU Football in sharp move
On Wednesday Night, the college football world was shocked when ESPN's Pete Thamel broke the news that former head coach Ed Orgeron was being hired by the LSU Tigers.
NEWS: LSU has finalized a deal to hire Ed Orgeron on Lane Kiffin’s staff, Orgeron’s agent Tzvi Grossman tells ESPN. Orgeron returns to LSU, which he led to the 2019 national title as head coach. Orgeron has a decades-long relationship with Kiffin. pic.twitter.com/illxrwRDmr
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) May 21, 2026
Lane Kiffin is hiring Ed Orgeron in a smaller role as he'll serve as a recruiting assistant and an assistant to the defense. Given the change in NCAA recruiting rules, Ed Orgeron will be able to go on the road and recruit for the Tigers which should be a major asset for the LSU Tigers.
The decision to hire Ed Orgeron doesn't come as a major stunner from Lane Kiffin's side as the two have deep experience together from their various coaching stops. Kiffin and Orgeron were on Pete Carroll's USC staff together before Orgeron joined Lane Kiffin at Tennessee, and followed him back to Southern Cal when Kiffin took the job.
LSU allowing Lane Kiffin to bring Ed Orgeron back to Baton Rouge is the bigger surprise, as they did fire their former head coach. Ed Orgeron was the head coach of one of college football's greatest teams with the 2019 undefeated National Championship team, which has made him an icon to the fanbase even after his tenure went South.
The LSU Tigers are operating at a wild level with the coaches they're bringing in across several sports. A pair of once fired LSU Basketball coaches are now back in Baton Rouge with the hirings of Will Wade and Johnny Jones, along with Ed Orgeron, now on the football side of the equation.
Lane Kiffin's decision to hire Ed Orgeron is likely very low risk, high reward with the role he'll serve. Kiffin doesn't need to worry about Orgeron overshadowing him with all the buzz around his hire still, and if Orgeron can help with the recruiting side, it'll only help Lane Kiffin focus where he's at his best in the Transfer Portal.
Not only does Ed Orgeron have deep ties in Louisiana, but he can help with his ties to the state of California, and various other regions from his time as a coach.
Ed Orgeron finished his LSU tenure with a 51-20 record going 31-17 in SEC play while winning the 2019 National Championship, and 6 Coach of the Year Awards for the championship season.
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