While many analysts and fans believe that Ed Orgeron has his back against the wall, one believes it is time to think about life in Death Valley beyond the head coach.
Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports recently published an article stating “it’s time for LSU to think about life after Ed Orgeron.” Thamel is one of the industry leaders in chasing down the leads for the coaching carousel. There is already one premier opening with the recent firing of Clay Helton at USC. The Trojans have started the groundwork already as they chase their next head coach in Southern Cal.
Could it be time for the Tigers to start trending in that direction? LSU athletic director Steve Woodward is no stranger to making changes at head coach.
- Steve Sarkisian, USC assistant to Washington head coach (football)
- Chris Petersen, Boise St to Washington (football)
- Jimbo Fisher, Florida St to Texas A&M (football)
- Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech to Texas A&M (men’s basketball)
- Jay Johnson, Arizona to LSU (baseball)
- Kim Mulkey, Baylor to LSU (women’s basketball)
As Thamel points out, Steve Woodward isn’t afraid to throw money at a problem. I wouldn’t expect a move as of this moment, but at 3-2 after five games and an absolutely torrid stretch of games coming, we could be close.
The next five games all feature opponents ranked inside the top 20 of the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.
- at No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats
- vs No. 18 Florida Gators
- at No. 17 Ole Miss Rebels
- at No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide
- vs No. 13 Arkansas Razorbacks
For Orgeron to save his job, they need a 3-2 stretch at minimum. Anything more than that is icing on the cake. Anything less than that is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
There are few signs the Tigers can turn things around, as they rank No. 128 in rushing offense, No. 93 in passing yards allowed and have one of the SEC’s worst offensive lines. If Orgeron survives and keeps his job for 2022, it’d be one of the best comebacks in a career hallmarked by them.
The boos reverberating through Tiger Stadium on Saturday night portend another sound throughout the sport — the ringing of cash registers. If there’s one thing that an opening at LSU signifies, it’s an economic stimulus to the sport. (And a competitor in the job market for USC, as there’s an argument both are top 5 jobs.)
A 6-4 record after 10 games isn’t ideal for a program that competed for a national championship just two years ago. However, if they are 6-4 the team has two very winnable games to close out the season to get to 8-4. I think eight wins would give Orgeron just one more year, with the caveat that poor showings could force Woodward to put it in motion earlier.
If LSU loses the next two games against Kentucky and Florida and is 3-4 before Ole Miss and Alabama, that might be all they need to make a change. At this point, there aren’t any signs among this team to lead me to believe that they can turn it around.
Ed Orgeron looks like a head coach that has no clue how he won a national championship and he has no clue how to get back to that point.