The LSU Tigers are currently sitting at 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the SEC. The latest loss at home was historic, Auburn won in Death Valley for the first time since 1999. No surprise to anyone that the fanbase isn’t happy with the national championship-winning coach. It isn’t just the fact that the team is 3-2 but 8-7 since that 2019 season. Even worse than that, he has a .500 record in conference play during that stretch (6-6).
While some schools might let that slide, the expectation level is much higher down on the Bayou. A school that has won three titles since 2000 and played for another expects to win. Winning a title should give you some time but there are a lot of factors here that don’t allow much room for error.
We start with the man in charge, athletic director Scott Woodward.
Industry experts believe Tiger brass — namely athletic director Scott Woodward — would like to make a coaching change and have felt that dating back to last season. – Bruce Feldman, The Athletic
Feldman recently looked at which head coaches are on the hot seat and just how hot is that seat. When discussing the SEC, Feldman had one name on the list, Ed Orgeron (subscription required). Woodward didn’t hire Orgeron, so he definitely doesn’t have his guy in place. At Washington, he hired Steve Sarkisian and then Chris Petersen. He then hired Jimbo Fisher to take over the program at Texas A&M.
Woodward arrived back home at his alma mater as the athletic director in 2019. Since that time he saw the national championship led by Orgeron. He also has seen all the off-the-field issues and Title IX situation. Safe to say that Woodward can’t be happy with the negative attention surrounding his school and football program.
Since coming to Baton Rouge, he hired Jay Johnson to take over the baseball program. Then hired national championship-winning coach Kim Mulkey to run the women’s basketball program. Next on the list very well might be the head football coach.
As Feldman notes, it is going to take a lot to get Orgeron to return in 2022. Another five-loss season won’t cut it.
They have to travel to a 5-0 Kentucky team, then play Florida before visiting Ole Miss and then Tuscaloosa and then hosting Arkansas. Going 3-2 over that stretch seems overly optimistic, and it feels like it’s going to be an uphill battle just to get to 7-5, which might not be good enough to get Orgeron to 2022.
With seven games remaining on the schedule for 2021, Orgeron has to finish 5-2 in that stretch to even be considered for 2022 in all likelihood. Despite a buyout that ranges near $21 million won’t prevent Woodward from pulling the trigger. If LSU loses at Kentucky on Saturday, the pressure will mount.
Feldman grades his hot seat as warm and getting much warmer.
I would give Orgeron’s seat a hot seat ranking of seven out of 10.