Ed Orgeron is ready to dip his toe back into the coaching waters.
The former LSU Tigers coach won a National Championship in 2019 following a perfect 15-0 season. A team that is still celebrated today as one of the best team in college football history.
In a recent interview with Jacques Doucet of WAFB, Orgeron confirmed he is ready to get back into coaching. In 2021, he was let go of his coaching duties at LSU with a buyout slightly less than $17 million. Orgeron was also contractually prohibited from coaching in the SEC for 18 months.
A lesser-known aspect of his buyout was that he was to receive payments from LSU from December of 2021 through July of this year. Needless to say, right now is a great time to re-enter the coaching ranks. Orgeron told Doucet it all depends on what becomes available.
"It all depends on what the best thing available is," Orgeron said. "But I’m ready to coach again. I left a little bit of meat on the bone and I’m ready to go."
The current opening in college football for Orgeron to consider is vast. Due to a number of circumstances, he might not be the most ideal candidate for the Penn State job, but there are other jobs worth looking into. Some of those opportunities include Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Stanford, UCLA, and UAB. Each present a unique set of challenges.
One of the jobs not listed just might be one Orgeron is interested in. According to On3's Pete Nakos, Orgeron has shown some interest in that job. Despite his SEC roots, he's reportedly not opposed to moving to the west coast. It also would not be the first West Coast stint for Orgeron who served as the Trojans’ interim head coach in 2013. A source told Nakos this weekend that Orgeron had "some communication with individuals around Oregon State"
It's important to note that Orgeron has not been officially interviewed or tied to any program’s coaching search, but it is early in that process. He brings a specific coaching style toward his interview process. Whether or not his brand of coaching is a fit for the jobs mentioned will be known in a few short months.
For now, the 64-year-old plays the waiting game while hoping to jump back into the day-to-day life as a major college football coach.
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