Ed Orgeron hasn’t exactly been subtle about wanting to get back into coaching. The guy won a national championship at LSU in 2019, got fired two years later after a couple of rough seasons, and has been sitting on the sidelines ever since trying to figure out his next move. He’s made it clear he’s ready to coach again, but what he said during a recent appearance on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike took things to a whole different level. 

“Oh. I would love to. You kidding me? I’m one call away,” Orgeron said when asked if he’d like to be LSU’s head coach. His voice hit that signature raspy tone that LSU fans know so well. “I just gotta get my truck, I’ll be back. I could be there today.” That’s a man who still has a home in Baton Rouge, still bleeds purple and gold, and is ready to roll back into town the moment someone picks up the phone. He won LSU national title with one of the greatest teams in college football history. He went 15-0 with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire tearing through everyone in their path. That 2019 season was perfect, and Orgeron became a legend in Baton Rouge because of it. 

The hosts on Unsportsmanlike didn’t just ask if he wanted to be the head coach, they went deeper. They asked him point-blank if he’d be willing to go back as an assistant under someone he’s been close with and worked with before: Lane Kiffin. Would Ed Orgeron, a national championship-winning head coach, really consider going back to LSU in a subordinate role? 

“Yeah. I’ll consider it,” Orgeron said without missing a beat. “I love LSU. I still got my home in Baton Rouge. I loved it when I coached under coach Miles, being the defensive line coach. I love the Tiger and I’m getting back to coaching, and for sure I consider it. No doubt.” That’s a massive statement. 

Most head coaches who’ve won a national title wouldn’t even entertain the idea of stepping back down to be an assistant somewhere. But Orgeron’s made it clear that he just wants to be coaching football again, preferably at a place where he’s already built deep connections.​

The Lane Kiffin connection makes this even more intriguing. Kiffin’s name has been floating around as one of the top candidates for the LSU job. He’s done an incredible job at Ole Miss, he’s an offensive wizard, and he knows the SEC inside and out. If LSU were to hire Kiffin and Orgeron came back as his defensive line coach or in some sort of associate head coach role, you’d have a staff with serious firepower.

 Orgeron was an elite defensive line coach before he ever became a head coach, and that’s where he made his bones in the profession. He coached the D-line at USC under Pete Carroll, and he did it at LSU under Les Miles starting in 2015. And he knows how to recruit and develop talent at that position better than almost anyone. Pairing Kiffin’s offensive mind with Orgeron’s defensive line expertise and recruiting prowess could be a legitimate formula for success, and it would bring back a beloved figure who still has massive credibility with recruits and fans across Louisiana.​

Coach O’s bot picky about titles anymore

The most telling thing about where Ed Orgeron is in his career right now is just how honest he’s being about his willingness to take whatever role gets him back on a sideline. When he sat down with On3’s Andy Staples, Orgeron didn’t dance around the subject or try to save face about only wanting a head coaching gig. “I’m not gonna take anything, and not everybody’s gonna take me,” he said.

“So, it may be a head coach job. It may be a defensive line job with someone that I believe can win a championship. …I’m a championship coach and I’m gonna bring a winning program to their university.” That’s not someone protecting his ego. That’s someone who genuinely misses coaching and understands the reality of where he stands after being out of the game for nearly four years.​

The key phrase in everything Orgeron’s been saying is “with someone that I believe can win a championship.” He wants to be part of a program that’s actually trying to compete at the highest level. Whether that’s at LSU under Lane Kiffin, at South Carolina helping out while Travian Robertson recovers, or somewhere else entirely, Orgeron’s made it clear he’s being selective about the fit. He told Staples he’s staying in his South Beach high-rise until December, when his lease is up, and then he’s ready to make a move. That timeline suggests he’s waiting for the right opportunity rather than jumping at the first offer that comes along.