Ed Orgeron returning to LSU to serve as special assistant on Lane Kiffin’s staff

The dream of 2019 is alive in Baton Rouge, La.

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin is adding former Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron to his staff as a special assistant to recruiting and defense, the school announced Wednesday night.

“I’m excited to bring Coach Orgeron back to LSU,” Kiffin said in a release announcing the hire. “He brings us tremendous value with his ability to recruit elite players nationally, but especially the impact he can have for us recruiting the great state of Louisiana. Coach O understands my expectations and commitment to being a championship program. I look forward to seeing him with recruits and his intensity working with our defensive players.”

Orgeron guided the Tigers to an undefeated national championship season in 2019 with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow at the helm. He was fired two years later, however, after LSU stumbled to a 6-6 regular season, and was eventually replaced by Brian Kelly.

Kiffin and Orgeron have a history that dates back to their time together on Pete Carroll’s staff at USC, when Orgeron served as the Trojans’ recruiting coordinator and Kiffin was a rising offensive assistant.

Kiffin later hired Orgeron to his staff when he became the head coach at Tennessee in 2009. Orgeron followed Kiffin back to USC when Kiffin was hired as the Trojans head coach in 2010. The former D-line coach ended up taking over the USC program after Kiffin was fired in 2013 after five games.

Orgeron is the third former head coach this offseason to be hired back to his old school as an assistant coach, joining Brent Pry at Virginia Tech and Zach Arnett at Mississippi State.

Orgeron is also the second fired LSU coach to come back to Baton Rouge in the last two months, after the Tigers brought back Will Wade to take over the men’s basketball program this spring. Wade was fired in his fifth season at LSU in March 2022 after being accused of multiple NCAA infractions as the subject of an FBI investigation.

In addition to his coaching connection to LSU, Orgeron started his college playing career at the school. He grew homesick, however, and left in his freshman year, transferring to Northwestern State.

Orgeron was 67-47 as a head coach across parts of 10 seasons at Ole Miss, USC and LSU. He was 51-20 at LSU, including 4-1 in bowl games.