Ed Orgeron is back. Not on the LSU sidelines yet but close enough to feel the turf under his boots again. The man who once turned Saturdays in Baton Rouge into a Cajun carnival resurfaced at a Louisiana ceremony sounding like he’s got unfinished business with the sport that made him a household name. When reporter Jacques Doucet asked the question everyone’s been waiting on (You ready to coach again?), he didn’t blink. “All depends on what the best thing available is,” the 63-year-old said. “I have a little meat left in the bone, I’m ready to go.” So where does a fired-up Coach O show up next?

Grambling State. When you hear the name, you might remember the bruising 0–70 loss to Ohio State earlier this season. A game that symbolized how far the once-mighty G-Men had fallen. But this week, the story flipped. Ed Orgeron visited GSU, stepping onto their field to talk to the players before their homecoming matchup with Texas Southern. On October 7, Grambling State Football shared a note of gratitude with an X update. “Thank you to National Championship winning coach Ed Orgeron for stopping by practice and sharing words of wisdom with our G-Men 🗣️” For HC Mickey Joseph, now in his second season at the helm, that’s like getting a motivational speech from Louisiana football royalty.

The pep talk was symbolic. A championship-winning Louisiana native lending his aura to one of the state’s most historic HBCUs. Grambling State, after all, carries 15 Black College National Championships and 27 conference titles under its belt. The Tigers are 3-2 right now, hungry for more under the legacy of Eddie Robinson’s 408-win dynasty. And if Ed Orgeron’s presence did anything, it reminded everyone what Louisiana football once was and still could be.

It’s been nearly four years since LSU and Ed Orgeron went their separate ways, and time hasn’t dulled his fire. He’s been spotted across the football map, talking to players, attending events, and showing up wherever the game still breathes deep in Louisiana air. After all, this is the same man who sculpted one of the greatest teams in modern college football. The 2019 LSU Tigers, led by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson, rewrote history with a 15-0 masterpiece. The rest unraveled quickly, sure, but that doesn’t erase the blueprint. And now, several programs without HCs could benefit from hiring this veteran coach. 

Where could Ed Orgeron land in college football?

Ed Orgeron’s coaching comments sounded like a coach pacing the sidelines of his mind again. Word around Louisiana circles is that he’s been in “football shape” mentally, talking schemes, following recruiting battles, and staying sharp. And after that appearance at Grambling, it’s clear the coaching itch isn’t just back, it’s burning. 

Arkansas feels like the most natural landing spot. The SEC connection runs deep. He’s battled in those trenches before and even worked for the Razorbacks as an assistant back in the ’80s. Arkansas has the money, the facilities, and the need for a motivator who can walk into a locker room and instantly command respect. Then there’s Oklahoma State, where the post–Mike Gundy era has left a leadership vacuum. The Cowboys need a personality big enough to reboot a culture, and Ed Orgeron’s a human spark plug. He took over LSU after Les Miles and turned a talented-but-flat program into a juggernaut. The same playbook could work in Stillwater. 

And if you want a wild-card option, UCLA isn’t as strange as it sounds. Coach O cut his teeth at USC, recruited like a Hollywood producer, and went 6-2 as interim head coach in 2013. The West Coast may have changed but a voice like Ed Orgeron’s could still echo through the Rose Bowl.