Ed Orgeron is LSU’s pick to replace Les Miles. Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
LSU will remove the interim tag and hire Ed Orgeron as permanent head coach, according to multiple reports Saturday.
The school scheduled a press conference for later Saturday to announce its new head coach.
The Tigers flirted with other options in the last 48 hours — targeting Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher and Houston’s Tom Herman — before deciding on Orgeron after he went 5-2 as Les Miles’ replacement.
The 55-year-old Orgeron earned widespread support from the players and the fan base in his time as interim coach.
A source told ESPN’s Brett McMurphy that LSU decided to go with Orgeron because it “wasn’t going to be held hostage (while Herman negotiated with other schools). … In the end, they chose the guy who wanted the job and not the guy who wanted the money.”
Orgeron was USC’s interim coach in 2013 and went 6-2 at Southern Cal after replacing his friend Lane Kiffin. He also was head coach at Ole Miss from 2005 to 2007.
“He’s done a great job,” sophomore running back Derrius Guice said of Orgeron after Thursday night’s 54-39 victory over Texas A&M. “He’s a family guy. He keeps us close. He reminds us that it’s you fighting for your brothers. … We’re all one heartbeat. I want Coach O to stay. We need somebody like Coach O to lead us out there.”
One of Orgeron’s first moves will be to pursue Alabama’s Kiffin as his offensive coordinator, according to reports. Kiffin and Orgeron were assistants together on Pete Carroll’s USC staff.
The two reunited when Kiffin was named Tennessee’s head coach, then both moved back to USC when Kiffin switched jobs.
After a 2-2 start this season, LSU fired Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron on Sept. 25 and replaced them with Orgeron and interim offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger.
