Tag: Steve Ensminger

Three reasons why changes need to be made at the top for LSU

Is it time for a change?

The Ed Orgeron era seems to be coming out of its heyday.

After LSU lost to Auburn in Death Valley for the first time since 1999, fans are a little frustrated with the sixth-year head coach. LSU is barely sitting above .500 after their 15-0 national championship season back in 2019, and the train seems to be continuously slowing down.

There has been obvious regression on both sides of the ball, and little effort seems to have been made to change things around Baton Rouge. LSU can’t afford another breakeven season.

Unfortunately, the Tigers are staring a very tough schedule in the face. Their next five opponents are a combined 20-5. The road ahead looks grim for LSU if they can’t get things together.

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Here are three reasons why changes should be made in Baton Rouge.

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Top three replacement options for LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger

The LSU Tigers rewrote record books on offense in 2019 behind Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow at quarterback. 

The LSU Tigers rewrote record books on offense in 2019 behind Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow at quarterback.

One year later, LSU is looking for a new offensive coordinator.

There were many reasons why LSU struggled on offense at times in 2020.

First, there was quarterback Myles Brennan. Brennan was solid early in the season but still learning on the job with several young weapons outside of wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr.

When Brennan got hurt, LSU had to rely on a pair of freshmen in TJ Finley and Max Johnson. Finley had two solid starts and struggled in his other outings.

Meanwhile, Johnson won both of his starts to end the season, including an upset at Florida.

There were injuries and opt-outs, such as All-American wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Marshall late in the season. The Tigers featured several new starters on the offensive line this fall, and there were growing pains.

The running game was never consistent, hindering the quarterback play.

After the season, it was announced offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger would retire from on-field coaching and take a role as an offensive analyst.

Ensminger spent the last three seasons as LSU’s offensive coordinator, and the Tigers averaged 37.4 points per game and over 474 total yards per game during his tenure.

Orgeron’s next hire is critical. He cannot afford a mistake as he made with Pelini and Scott Linehan last year.

Expect LSU’s next offensive coordinator to have coordinator experience and success with some version of the spread offense. The new coach must have strong recruiting ties, too.

Here are three candidates to watch for in LSU’s search for its next offensive coordinator.

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Steve Ensminger not expected to be LSU OC next year

Steve Ensminger likely won’t be LSU’s offensive coordinator next year.

There was significant turnover after LSU’s national championship win after the 2019 season, and there’s plenty of moving and shaking following this season as well.

Defensive coordinator Bo Pelini and LSU went their separate ways on Monday after the Tigers had an up-and-down season on defense, among the worst in the SEC in more than one category.

Now, offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger is not expected to return to his position, either, as originally reported by The Advocate’s Brooks Kubena.

Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger follow up on the report, tweeting that Ensminger could be done on the field, but could move to another position within LSU’s staff.

Ensminger has built up a solid reputation at LSU, perhaps most well-known for his hand in 2019’s unstoppable offense, led by quarterback Joe Burrow.

In that season, Burrow took home the Heisman Trophy, set single-season NCAA records for passing touchdowns (60), total touchdowns (64) to accompany single-season SEC records for passing yards (5,671), completions (402), completion percentage (76.3) and total offense (6,039).

 

Report: Former Lions OC Scott Linehan connected to opening at LSU

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman is reporting that former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is taking a position at LSU as their passing game coordinator.

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman is reporting that former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is taking a position at LSU as their passing game coordinator.

Linehan was with the Lions under coach Jim Schwartz from 2009 through the 2013 seasons and was quarterback Matthew Stafford’s first offensive coordinator as a professional.

Linehan organized his vertical offense to rely on Stafford’s big arm but he also heavily leaned on future Hall-of-Famer (maybe as soon as the next cycle) Calvin Johnson.

In their third season together (and finally healthy) Linehan orchestrated Stafford’s only 5,000-yard passing season in 2011, while Johnson’s career year came the following season in 2012 when he caught 122 passes for 1964-yards receiving.

Linehan will take over at the defending National Champion LSU Tigers for Joe Brady who accepted an offensive coordinator position with the Carolina Panthers.

Last season, Brady and Steve Ensminger — LSU’s offensive coordinator — made a formidable duo designing and calling plays for the Tigers, producing one of the best offenses in college football.

ESPN’s TV crew stunned Joe Burrow with news about death of LSU assistant’s daughter-in-law

A brutal moment, caught live.

LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow learned on live TV that his offensive coordinator, Steve Ensminger, lost his daughter-in-law in a plane crash on Saturday.

Just hours before the team’s win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the college football semifinal, Ensminger got a phone call to inform him of the passing of Carley McCord, a 30-year-old TV journalist and the wife of Steve Ensminger Jr. She was traveling to Louisiana for LSU’s game against the Sooners.

It seems, however, the coach did not address the tragedy with the team, because ESPN reporter Dari Nowkhah appeared to break the news to Burrow about the tragic loss after the game. Burrow was stunned.

When the TV crew realized their mistake, they immediately apologized and called an end to the interview to give Burrow space to process the news and find his offensive coordinator. It was clearly a difficult moment for the 23-year-old quarterback.

The ESPN reporter, Nowkhah, issued an apology on Twitter.

“I obviously feel horrible to have been the one to have broken the news of Carley McCord’s passing to Joe. … We shouldn’t have assumed he was aware, and that’s on us,” Nowkhah wrote.

Here’s hoping the Ensminger and McCord families are doing OK in a difficult time.

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