Ed Orgeron seems to be popping up a lot in the college football space lately. It’s been 4 years since he left Baton Rouge, and coincidentally, there are some head coaching roles opening up as well. Among them is a program that seems to be sinking into quicksand the longer they are without a head coach. The problem is, even with one, the future might not be all that dandy. One analyst thought Ed Orgeron may be a pick for this risky opportunity.

A lot of candidates have come up to take over UCLA football after DeShaun Foster’s departure. The former head coach was signed for 5 years for $15 million in 2024. He got the boot in the midst of his 2nd year. The biggest red flag about the UCLA job is its uncertainty. That’s considering how often the leadership has changed hands. And Martin Jarmond has to get a guy who isn’t just an immediate fix, but a long-term solution. Andy Staples suggested the candidacy of a former HC, who once caught fire by assigning a demeaning term to the Bruins.

“What if Ed Orgeron came to UCLA? The man who once called them ‘Those s—- blue shirts?’” Staples said during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show. “[This] is a guy who has proven himself as a recruiter in Southern California. I’m just telling you, Coach O’s out there,” he added. Orgeron is a national championship-winning coach and has led a blueblood like LSU for 6 years. He’s had a debatable few seasons during his tenure as well, but UCLA will want a man with the experience like Orgeron’s. Also, we know Orgeron sure does want to come back to college football.

It’s been 4 years since he walked out with $17 million, and maybe things have started to change. “I don’t know what’s left [of the buyout], but I’m guessing it’s running out because all of a sudden he is putting himself out there a little bit more than he was before. Can they pay him what he needs?” Jim Rome added to Staples’ take. Orgeron makes for an interesting choice for the UCLA job, considering the success he had as a recruiter. That is crucial for a struggling program like the Bruins, where recruiting took a massive hit under Chip Kelly.

“I think that’d be awesome to bring him back and see what he could do, given his USC history,” Rome added. UCLA is also in desperate need of NIL opportunities. Orgeron spent 11 years as a recruiting coordinator at USC. If that prowess comes to Westwood, UCLA might be looking at a good future, at least in this department. Nico Iamaleava and Dante Moore now seem like a stroke of luck that UCLA chanced upon. Moore is no longer at UCLA, and there is a chance that even Iamaleava will transfer after this season.

Orgeron is also a risky choice, considering how he became unproven during his career. After that national championship win, Orgeron never got back to that production in his last two years at Baton Rouge. But the onus isn’t entirely on the candidates, of course. UCLA itself has become a risky program for those on the lookout for a job. Jarmond and Co. have to prove that the position is worth the risk to those they’re willing to make an offer.

For someone like Ed Orgeron to pick UCLA, the program has to step up

UCLA might be a program with a long history. But it’s not got a lot to stand out for open coaches. Staples said that the Bruins also need to get serious about their future. “I don’t know who’s a good fit for that job. Because how serious does UCLA want to be about football, is the question,” he told Rome. The athletics department at Westwood is known for being a little stingy when it comes to choosing head coaches. At one time, Jamie Dixon was being courted for the HC job, but the Bruins weren’t willing to contest TCU’s pay of $8 million. Basketball coach John Calipari was offered less money per year from UCLA than he was already making at Kentucky.

“[It] felt like they kind of went to hire on the cheap. And that’s no offense to Deshaun Foster, but he probably wouldn’t have gotten the job,” Staples added. “There probably would have been more experienced, more qualified candidates going for the job if they were trying to spend like a Big Ten program that wants to win. And I just don’t know if that’s what they are,” the analyst highlighted. In February this year, The Los Angeles Times reported that Foster, Tino Sunseri, and Ikaika Malloe would be earning over $5.3 million in 2025 combined.

Not many, especially someone like Ed Orgeron, will give UCLA a strong thought if that continues to be the case even now. There are other jobs in college football opening up as well, like at Virginia Tech. The Bruins have to clean up their act if they want to pitch to candidates who are a safe bet for the program.