Lane Kiffin isn’t a Louisiana guy, but he’s an excellent coach who turned around a middling Ole Miss program. Fortunately for the LSU head coach, he knew the right person who understood not just the state but also the Tigers as a program. As per LSU AD Verge Ausberry, the Ed Orgeron hiring is more than just helping Kiffin with recruiting.

“I think Lane coming here, having that relationship with O (Ed Orgeron), I think that’s so important to have O in this building and the excitement and energy he brings,” LSU AD Verge Ausberry said on the June 30 episode of Tyrann Mathieu’s In the Bayou podcast. “Lane is a high-energy guy himself, like positive energy, and I think O helped guide him and help him in a lot of areas.”

Lane and Coach Ed Orgeron first crossed paths at Pete Carroll’s USC staff in the early 2000s. From then on, their bond clicked, and Orgeron served on multiple programs with Kiffin. In 2009, when Kiffin moved to Tennessee, he brought Orgeron with him as recruiting coordinator and D-line coach. Then, in 2010, when Kiffin returned to USC as head coach, he again brought Orgeron as the D-line coach. Moreover, Ausberry also considered the ‘transition’ aspect when agreeing to the Orgeron hire.

“Lane is a coach that gets out there, but also he’s a guy who likes football. He’s 24*7 in this building,” Ausberry said. “I think O helps a lot with the external part of it, especially with new coaches, new people. We’re fortunate to keep the defensive staff here. In light of those guys, O was hired here. So, that was good to make that transition with those guys and be here.”

While Kiffin brought in an entirely new coaching staff on offense, he kept the core on-field defensive staff. That includes defensive coordinator Blake Baker, whom Orgeron hired in 2021 as a linebackers coach. Even defensive backs coach Corey Raymond served under Orgeron when he was the head coach at Baton Rouge. That explains why Coach O is a special assistant to defense, along with recruiting.

Orgeron, a Louisiana native and 2019 national champion, commands in-state respect that Kiffin still has to build. LSU aims to capitalize on that in-state connection and on Orgeron’s ability to bring top recruits to LSU. Under Brian Kelly, LSU had slipped away in recruiting in-state players, and that’s where Orgeron is already making significant strides. 

Orgeron already complements Kiffin in several areas. While the LSU HC is analytical and media savvy, Orgeron is loud, emotional, and energetic. We saw that energy last month when Orgeron addressed LSU recruiting targets, including 5-star lineman Jalen Brewster.

Not just that, Orgeron is a master at using emotional appeal to lure recruits in Baton Rouge. He did that almost a decade ago, using crawfish to recruit Joe Burrow. The Kiffin-Orgeron duo is perfect to take LSU forward as the Tigers chase another national championship.