Ed Orgeron Makes Feelings Clear on LSU Firing Him for $17.1M After Brian Kelly’s Controversial Statement

“When we took this program over, the bar was really low relative to what the standards were,” Brian Kelly said recently. That comment didn’t go unnoticed. Sure, LSU was coming off a 5-5 and 6-6 stretch, but before that? We’re talking about a coach who once pitched his vision detailed in 2-3 binders when applying for the position, and then went on to deliver one of the greatest seasons in college football history. In 2019, Ed Orgeron led LSU to a perfect 15-0 record, a national title, and a Heisman winner in Joe Burrow—a run so dominant it rewrote the SEC record books. Things unraveled quickly after that, though, and Orgeron was out just two years later.

Since leaving LSU in 2021 with a $17 million buyout, Coach O has been away from the sidelines for nearly four years, doing some consulting work but never landing a coaching job again. That might be about to change, though. Appearing on August 18 episode of Pardon My Take, he admitted that he’s feeling the pull again, “I think it’s time… it’s been four years since I’ve been out. I’m getting the itch again.” But before any of that happens, he also made sure to clear that his feelings toward LSU haven’t changed– not even after Kelly’s pointed comments. 

Further down in the same show, he summed it up perfectly: “I’m a positive guy. I’m never going to let people know they got me. You know what I mean? And deep down inside, I may be hurting. I may be burning. We don’t show it. We have a saying, big chest and big eyes, we look forward. We work through adversity, and we keep on going.” For a program that has been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll multiple times since 1958, Orgeron’s fall from grace was quick—but expected. “We don’t do 5-5 at LSU,” athletic director Scott Woodward said in a discussion with alumni and boosters.Orgeron understood that reality.

He admitted as much when reflecting on his exit: “I understand the standards at LSU, I get it. I mean, we weren’t meeting the standards that we were supposed to meet. Give me $17 million to walk out the door, good luck. I’m still getting paid [by] LSU. People actually said, “Coach, you mad at LSU?” No, I love LSU and I do. It was a great opportunity for us and a great time,” The chapter is all about Kelly now. 

 Kelly started big with the Tigers, taking them to an 11-2 finish on his first run. Then, his records also started dipping— he is yet to win a Natty for LSU. This year, he returns with an elite squad worthy of making the full run to the big game. Will he be able to add to the glory Ed Orgeron brought in his short-lived career?