Tag: Scott Woodward

LSU and head coach Ed Orgeron reach separation agreement

Ed Orgeron will leave LSU following the season.

After so much discussion revolving around head coach Ed Orgeron and his job status, he won’t return to the school in 2022. SI’s Ross Dellenger reported the move on Sunday morning.

According to the report, negotiations began before the huge win over the Florida Gators. He will finish out the year as the head coach of the LSU Tigers and will step away after the season. It appears to be a mutual agreement with Orgeron understanding the expectation level with the Tigers.

With the news now public, athletic director Scott Woodward will begin the head coaching search for LSU. Many have speculated that the top target for the school will be Penn State head coach James Franklin. He is no stranger to the SEC having led Vanderbilt to two consecutive nine-win seasons before leaving for Happy Valley.

Another name brought up on Saturday morning by Bruce Feldman was Mel Tucker of Michigan State. He served under Nick Saban and is no stranger to LSU. Tucker served as the defensive backs coach for the Tigers in 2000.

We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they are made available.

Lincoln Riley, Mario Cristobal named among ESPN’s LSU head coach “wishlist”

Well, wouldn’t that be something.

Earlier this week, I put out a list of coaches that could get a look once the brass at LSU decides to move on from head coach Ed Orgeron. While we were just spitballing some names, there are three that I do hear more often than not. The top being Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss, James Franklin of Penn State, and Luke Fickell of Cincinnati.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN (subscription required) put together a list of “home run” hires for the Tigers. Among them are some very heavy hitters, we will focus on a couple. We know the history of LSU AD Scott Woodward and Jimbo Fisher, so let’s skip that name.

The biggest head-scratcher from Rittenberg is Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley.

Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley might be an unrealistic target, but Woodward could still gauge his interest. The Sooners are SEC-bound and could face a rocky transition. Riley is considered the nation’s premier quarterback developer and offensive playcaller, two areas in which LSU has been lacking except in 2019. While Riley is extremely loyal to OU, he also might have a ceiling when it comes to winning national championships, which wouldn’t be there in Baton Rouge.

Rittenberg also mentioned Mark Stoops who just beat LSU at their own game just a few days ago. Or how about Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy? Gundy took over as the Oklahoma State head coach when Les Miles bolted for LSU following the Nick Saban departure. Not exactly a sexy pick, but you can understand the reasoning.

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How about Oregon Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal?

Oregon’s Mario Cristobal would be one. Cristobal is one of the nation’s best and most relentless recruiters, and has built a top-10 program aiming for its third consecutive Pac-12 title and its first College Football Playoff appearance since 2014. Although the Ducks should be even better next year, Cristobal could be intrigued by the SEC, where he coached under Saban at Alabama, and a Tier 1 job with no recruiting limitations such as LSU. He wouldn’t be cheap, and his buyout to leave Oregon is $9 million until Jan. 14, 2022. But money isn’t going to stop Woodward and LSU, as any coaching transaction will total in the tens of millions.

One should believe that Cristobal is more believable than Riley. While Riley has Oklahoma in a very good spot, the pressure as the Sooners head coach isn’t near what he would face at LSU. Cristobal has already served under Nick Saban and knows what it takes in the vaunted SEC.

Either way, this coaching search is likely to be huge.

Roundtable Discussion: When does LSU make a move at head coach

When could a change be made at LSU?

The loss to UCLA was a humbling experience for this football team. Changes to the entire staff essentially and the returning talent had many believing that 2020 was the aberration. Turns out that 2019 was the glitch in the matrix for head coach Ed Orgeron.

There is no Joe Burrow and Joe Brady to save the head coach this time. The upcoming schedule is absolutely brutal with Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas A&M all ranked in the top 25 of the coaches poll. The only unranked team remaining on the schedule is UL-Monroe. That might be the only win left on the schedule. At least on paper, we could get a surprise win or two.

We have gone from a national championship team to a squad that is struggling to get bowl eligible. How the mighty have fallen. Everything going wrong for LSU falls at the feet of the head coach, Ed Orgeron. A team can’t stop the bleeding on defense with an offense with zero continuity and zero identity.

It has become a matter of when not if that LSU makes a change at head coach. The LSU Tigers Wire staff answers the question of when.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Potential targets for the LSU Tigers at head coach

Looking ahead after Saturday’s game, could LSU look to make a change with any of the guys on this list?

No, the LSU Tigers have not moved on from Ed Orgeron as the head coach. However, one can’t possibly think it is anything but a foregone conclusion at this point.

The Tigers went on the road to Lexington, Kentucky, and lost a game they couldn’t afford to lose. Looking at the schedule, every remaining team has a winning record with the exception of UL-Monroe. It isn’t looking too grand for the LSU football program. The remaining opponents have a combined 23-11 record.

It is very likely following the upset win by Texas A&M, all but ULM will be in the top 25 when the polls are released on Sunday morning. It is also likely that LSU will not be favored by win probability metrics in any game except the nonconference finale in late November.

Here is how the upcoming schedule breaks down:

Opponent Wins Losses
vs Florida 4 2
at Ole Miss 4 1
at Alabama 5 1
vs Arkansas 4 2
vs UL-Monroe 2 3
vs Texas A&M 4 2

Sitting at 3-3, it is hard to fathom the Tigers will win more than a couple of these games. Anything is possible, but with another dreadful performance, faith is wearing thin. It seems 5-7 or 6-6 might be the ceiling. It isn’t just the record but how this team has looked in the past 16 games that make many believe that Orgeron is likely done in Baton Rouge.

The team last year had many people thinking he might be one and done after winning the title in 2019. He wiped the staff clean, and here we are halfway through the season at 3-3.

We compiled a list of potential targets for the LSU Tigers and athletic director Scott Woodward.

Grading the hot seat: How warm is it for Ed Orgeron?

That seat is getting awfully warm in Baton Rouge.

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.

What are they are saying about LSU football following the open date?

LSU’s open date before facing Alabama was a good time to reflect on the status of the program.

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Things may not be going quite as well as LSU fans would have hoped to see in 2020, but the Tigers are still rolling in the recruiting game.

The most recent addition of four-star safety Derrick Davis Jr. continued to prove LSU’s on-field struggles are not nearly enough to counterbalance the result son the field this season.

Davis offered his verbal commitment to LSU on Saturday, during LSU’s bye week. The Pennsylvania safety chose the Tigers over offers from Big Ten stalwarts Ohio State (the Buckeyes improved to 3-0 with a win over Rutgers) and Penn State (who fell to 0-3 this weekend with a dreadful home loss to Maryland).

Georgia and Pitt were also reported to be in the top five for Davis. As of now, LSU is ranked No. 3 in the Class of 2021 according to 247 Sports, trailing No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Ohio State. ESPN also ranks LSU third in its updated recruiting rankings.

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LSU’s latest gain draws more of a critical eye to Penn State with another top in-state recruit opting to leave the state rather than play for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions. As noted by ESPN, none of the seven Pennsylvania recruits residing in the ESPN 300 have committed to play at Penn State.

A bye week for LSU also gave time to reflect on the difficult season that has been played to this point. In a featured interview with The Advocate, LSU Athletics Director Scott Woodward confirmed his belief in head coach Ed Orgeron and the coach’s ability to work through the multiple struggles facing the program this season.

“[I’m] very confident coach Orgeron can right the ship and get it going,” Woodward said to The Advocate. “Less than a year ago we had something pretty magical, and I believe we can get back to it.”

The immense struggles of the defense have recently thrown the microscope on defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, who is making $2.3 million in his role with the LSU program. Woodward denied to comment specifically on Pelini’s future with the Tigers but did tell the Advocate LSU is” always prepared for personnel changes” but also stressed it is far too early to really evaluate what will happen as this current season plays out or what happens after the season.

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Pelini’s defense will be up for a tall challenge next weekend as the Tigers take on the newly-appointed No. 1 team in the latest Amway Coaches Poll. Alabama took over the top spot in this week’s coaches poll following Notre Dame’s double-overtime upset of previously top-ranked Clemson in South Bend on Saturday night. Alabama’s offense is once again loaded with quarterback Mac Jones rising to the top of the Heisman Trophy boards and the offense firing on all cylinders while LSU’s offense has sputtered.

This is the 13th consecutive season Alabama has climbed as high as No. 1 in the AP Top 25, as noted by Matt Brown of The Athletic. It is the longest active streak of seasons with at least one No. 1 ranking. LSU has faced Alabama with a top-two ranking in the AP Top 25 eight times since 2011.

This will mark the first time LSU has entered the Alabama game outside the top 25 of the polls since 2001, when LSU topped the Tide 35-21 in Tuscaloosa. It will be LSU’s first time being unranked against a ranked Alabama since 1999. Alabama topped LSU 23-17 that season.

Depsite what looks on paper to be one of the more lopsided decisions in the Alabama-LSU series this weekend, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is not about to take the Tigers lightly.

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“They’ve got good young players. They’ve got a lot of good players. They’re capable of beating anybody in the country, there’s no doubt about that,” Saban said to reporters on Sunday, according to Sports Illustrated. They’ve got a good offensive line, good tight end, good receivers. But they’re all young players. I think they’ve had some growing pains but they’re all very talented and very capable.”

LSU hosts Alabama on Saturday, Nov 14 at 5 p.m. CT.

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LSU coach Ed Orgeron taking 5 percent cut due to COVID-19 losses

According to USA TODAY’s coaching salary database, LSU head coach Ed Orgeron is the second-highest-paid head coach in college football. 

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron is the second-highest-paid head coach in college football, according to USA TODAY’s coaching salary database,

Orgeron moved into the No. 2 spot behind Alabama’s Nick Saban due to Clemson’s Dabo Swinney agreeing to a salary reduction due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, Orgeron is the latest coach to voluntarily agree to have his salary reduced, per Glenn Guilbeau of the Lafayette Daily Advertiser.

Orgeron, as well as LSU athletic director Scott Woodward, agreed to a 5% reduction for 2021.

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Orgeron will lose $300,000 in salary from LSU in 2021; however, he does receive the other $2.9 million from other entities, specifically the Tiger Athletic Foundation.

“I was very willing,” Orgeron said Thursday night during a teleconference. “With the deficit they have, it’s understandable.”

LSU is among the many universities expected to face a massive deficit due to COVID-19. LSU’s projected losses are around $80 million.

Regarding pay reduction, coaches making more than $80,000 annually do not have to take a five percent decrease for 2021 but can do so on a volunteer basis.

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“I think five percent is very generous on their part,” Orgeron said. “I know some other staffs are even going 10 percent or higher. So, I was glad to do it.”

Woodward’s office also released a statement.

LSU Athletics announced a compensation reduction plan to help mitigate the impact of an expected $80 million loss in revenue as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The department initiated several costs savings measures since March and today announced the additional step of a department-wide reduction in compensation.

Woodward, whose salary is $1.5 million per year, faces a pay reduction of $75,000.

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Unfortunately, LSU laid off other employees due to the pandemic but did not name them. Jason Suitt, an assistant athletic director for fan engagement, announced on his Twitter account he no longer works for LSU.

Orgeron noted that the football program would not see any significant cuts.

“The thing I like about it is they didn’t cut anything from the football team,” he said. “Nothing from my athletes. We’re still traveling the same way. We still have the same amount of food.”

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LSU AD Scott Woodward: ‘I believe our student-athletes want to play’

LSU issued a statement from Woodward on Monday.

It’s only Monday, but it’s already been a long week for those involved in college football and the future of the 2020 season.

LSU released a statement from athletic director Scott Woodward that came shortly after it was announced there would be no Mountain West football this fall.

Woodward said that the recent reports surrounding college athletics does not change the approach LSU is making, that he believed LSU’s student athletes wanted to play and that the university owes it to them to make every effort to return to sports safely.

Here’s a look at the complete statement:

“We remain steadfast in our approach in the Southeastern Conference, taking all the available time to gather as much information as possible in order to make informed decisions. We are united in our process and our focus on the safety and well-being of our student-athletes. The recent flood of reports surrounding college athletics does not alter that approach. As we have said since the beginning, we are patiently working through each and every variable following the direction of our Return to Safety and Medical Guidance Task Force. I believe our student-athletes want to play. We owe it to them to make every effort to do so safely.”

LSU football is currently set to begin the season against the Ole Miss Rebels in Tiger Stadium on Sept. 26.

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LSU AD Scott Woodward weighs in on school’s football schedule

On Friday, LSU athletic director Scott Woodward discussed the team’s 2020 schedule.

On Thursday afternoon, the SEC officially announced a new format for the 2020 college football season that would include a 10-game, conference-only season.

While the decision to play a conference-only schedule was expected, considering the ACC made a similar announcement the day before, it was still a popular topic on social media.

On Friday, LSU athletic director Scott Woodward discussed the team’s 2020 schedule, per Shea Dixon of 247Sports.

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Today is an exciting day for all of us who love college football in the SEC. The toughest conference in college football is going to battle it out in historic fashion. Tiger Stadium and our National Championship Football team will play host to five SEC opponents in a 10-game, all-SEC regular-season schedule.

While Woodward indicated how excited LSU and the entire SEC was about having football this fall, he noted the top priority for everyone is the health and safety of the student-athletes.

Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our student-athletes. We, as SEC member institutions, are continuing to engage in deliberate and informed discussions on planning for the safety of student-athletes, coaches and staff. We will continue to follow the guidance of medical professionals in our decision making, including the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force. Together, and with the direction of state public health officials, we are focused on a safe return to competition.

LSU officially opens the 2020 season on Sept. 26 in Baton Rouge against Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels.

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