LSU Football Makes Major Decision on Head Coach Ed Orgeron
It looks like the LSU Tigers football team will be looking for a new head coach next year. On Sunday, LSU and head coach Ed Orgeron announced that he will step aside after the end of this season. As part of the agreement, LSU will pay Orgeron the remaining $16.95 million remaining on his contract.
"We have very high standards for all of our sports programs at LSU, and we will stand proudly behind our expectations of competing for SEC and national championships year in and year out," LSU Director of Athletics Scott Woodward said in a press release. "Our last two seasons have simply not met that standard, and based on our on-field results and our evaluation of the potential for future immediate success, it is time for a new direction."
When the announcement was made, Orgeron wrote a letter to the fans. "My love for LSU has only strengthened over the past five years," he wrote. "All I wanted to do when I accepted the position as head coach in 2016 was to build a championship program and make the state of Louisiana proud. With the hard work and support of talented players, loyal assistants, dedicated staff, and the most passionate fans in college football, we did just that in 2019.
"I have always understood the expectations at LSU, and they are the same expectations I have for myself and our staff. I am disappointed that we have not met these expectations over the past two years. Thank you to the entire LSU family for the opportunity to coach one of the greatest college football teams of all-time. I'll continue to fight, as will our team, throughout the rest of the season."
Orgeron, 60, became the head coach at LSU in 2016 after Les Miles was fired. He led the team to a 6-2 record and Citrus Bowl win. His best season was in 2019 when the Tigers went undefeated and won a national championship. But the Tigers have fallen off since winning the national title, posting a 5-5 record last year and a 4-3 record seven games into this season. Orgeron was previously the head coach at Ole Miss from 2005-2007 and tallied a 10-25 record. He was also the interim head coach at USC in 2013 and notched a 6-2 record.