In May 2018, former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron met a little-known and unheralded Ohio State recruit at a Baton Rouge diner. For the recruit, it was going to be ‘just another’ pitch to get him to land at his program. A dinner would do no harm. Wanting to experience the famous Cajun culture, he picked up the menu and ordered crawfish — except the restaurant didn’t have any. For many, this would have quickly triggered that ‘panic’ button. But a laid-back Orgeron was different.

He picked up his phone, dialed up his buddy, and poof, the crawfish was there. That moment of personal attention and exceptional care stood out for the recruit, Joe Burrow, who would go on to torch defenses in 2019 and win the Natty for Orgeron. But things changed quickly, and after the 2020-2021 season, Orgeron and LSU came to a mutually went separate ways. Now, LSU’s AD Verge Ausberry and new HC Lane Kiffin are bringing him back to Baton Rouge to work that same magic.

“Ed loves this place. Ed Orgeron loves LSU,” Ausberry told WAFB on June 1, 2026. “He didn’t come here; he’s a Louisiana man through and through, and he feels this is his school. And he wants to see LSU win.

“He wants to see LSU back on top, and that’s why a guy like him is back with us. Now official visits have started, and they’re doing a tremendous job. A lot of recruits in here, a lot of great football players coming in. As you know, we hired coach Ed Orgeron as a specialist to help us in that area.”

Returning to the Tigers on May 20, the 64-year-old will serve as a special assistant to recruiting and defense. Back in the day, Orgeron dominated Louisiana recruiting and was popular for keeping state talent at home. That was the reason why, except for his 2017 and 2018 classes, Orgeron’s recruiting classes stood in the top-5 nationally.

If landing a recruit took something special, Orgeron had it.

The former LSU head coach had a knack for explaining that he was the best coach for their sons’ development and that LSU would ultimately win.

“On my in-home visit,” former LSU safety Grant Delpit said to ESPN’s David Hale in 2020. “The first thing he asked was, ‘Mama, where’s the gumbo?'”

“If I’m doing 20 visits, I’m expecting 20 gumbos,” Orgeron said.

Sure, Orgeron got his signature Louisiana cuisine gumbo, and most often the recruits’ commitment as well. But that was not the only thing Orgeron did during his recruitment journeys.

Former LSU OL Austin Deculus told ESPN’s David Hale about Orgeron joining his family for dinner after he and his father came off a hunting trip in Texas. The duo had shot a buffalo and had enough meat for a year’s worth of steaks and sausages. However, as Orgeron visited Austin’s home, he didn’t mind ‘devouring’ the hunting game.

“Coach O had five bowls,” Austin said.

“One of the best out there,” Urban Meyer said about Orgeron on his Triple Option podcast on June 1. “When Ed Orgeron got his hands on you, that was a tough get. This is also about Louisiana.

“When I was a head coach at Florida, we played in Louisiana, got to the dance floor with a great player, and then he wouldn’t come. So, I said enough. I’m not flying into Louisiana again. I’m good. There are enough good players around Georgia and Florida.”

Rejoining LSU, Coach Ed is bringing in the same recruiting prowess that made him a national champion seven years ago. Ever since joining LSU, Orgeron has spent time with five-star Texas Tech commit Jalen Brewster when he was on a visit to LSU. In another video LSU posted, Orgeron is again hosting a throng of recruits and addressing them, which is hopefully a good sign for things ahead.

Lane Kiffin is tapping on his long-standing relationship with Ed Orgeron

The connection isn’t just about LSU and Orgeron. In fact, he and Kiffin go way back. The two started working together at Pete Caroll’s staff at USC, where Orgeron was the team’s D-line coach, while Kiffin was still learning the craft as a young offensive assistant. In that short time at USC, though, the duo developed a lasting bond, and Orgeron served under Kiffin’s staff on two separate occasions.

First, the new LSU assistant joined as DLs coach and recruiting coordinator, and then followed him to USC when Kiffin took the head coaching job. That long-standing relationship is also why Kiffin has brought Orgeron onto his staff.

“It just seemed like the perfect time to bring him back,” Kiffin said during the SEC meetings on May 26, 2026. “We talked for a number of days about it. We had to figure out exactly what it was.

“I feel awesome about it. And I feel the comfort of having him on the staff. Seventeen years ago, I was here as the Tennessee head coach. Knowing when he’s on your staff, certain things will be taken care of.”

Kiffin hopes Orgeron will take care of things, at least on the recruiting front. That’s why his hire also looks to be a well-worked PR move, something LSU needed badly after Brian Kelly failed to fit in. Orgeron brings that ‘Cajun’ culture, as Kiffin tries to rebuild LSU from scratch.

After all, Orgeron is not just ‘another’ assistant for LSU; he’s a man who carries immense history and significance for the program.