For LSU fans, Ed Orgeron will always be remembered as the coach who led the Tigers to a national championship in 2019. Now, years later, he is back in Baton Rouge, helping Lane Kiffin as the special assistant to recruiting and defense. However, when he entered the Jordan-Hare Stadium for LSU’s game against Auburn, fans were left concerned about his appearance.
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Coach O was seen walking back to the locker room, escorted by a policeman with a cane, when Jacques Doucet met him and pointed towards Cole Tracy to see if he remembered him. To which he said, “I remember it like it was yesterday.”
Coach O still remembers the 2018 game at the same stadium, when Tracy kicked a 42-yard field goal to help LSU to a dramatic 22-21 victory over Auburn. His memory is still sharp, but the life-threatening illness he suffered this year left him considerably weak, which was noticeable in his voice.
Coach O is known for his intensity and energy, but his health problems forced him to confront a serious challenge in August. He was hospitalized for 18 days straight as he battled an extreme case of sepsis. In mid-August, Orgeron fell ill during a practice session and was rushed to the hospital, shocking the LSU community.
He missed the rest of fall practice to recover, and he even missed LSU’s first 2 games after returning to Baton Rouge. Even Coach Kiffin was worried about the situation involving Coach O.
“He’s doing better,” Kiffin said, according to an X post by Jacques Doucet of WAFB. “It was a little bit scary. I’m not going to get into any details with that. But he’s doing better. He’s still not all the way back. He just means a lot to me; we’ve just been through a lot.”
Orgeron was seen slowly transitioning back to the field in mid-September, with his first stop being LSU’s football operations building as he recovered. However, he wasn’t well enough to travel with LSU for its first away game against Ole Miss. But nothing could keep Orgeron away from the field, as he finally took the trip to Kentucky in Week 6, with the Tigers marking his official return to the field. As he traveled with the squad again to Auburn, fans rallied behind him online.
“Man’s a fighter. Exemplifies Louisiana. Man, we’re about to beat these people. GEAUX TIGERS,” one excited fan said after seeing Coach O on the field. Another fan echoed the sentiment, “Hope and pray he’s getting better.”
Finally, having Coach O on the sideline also gives a boost to Kifin because of their long history together. The two coaches worked together at USC under head coach Pete Carroll around 25 years ago. So the reason why Kifin brought him back to work with him is that they already know each other’s working styles.
One fan tweeted simply, “Football guy,” capturing Orgeron’s unwavering commitment to the game. Another LSU supporter weighed in, “Coach O is a national treasure.”
Some shared their love, “We love you, Coach O,” to let him know that they all have his back with prayers and support.
As for Coach O, he might be weaker than before, but he made one thing clear to Kifin. He said, ‘Hey coach, you know I’m never going to the hospital, man. If I die, I’m dying on that field out there.”