Lane Kiffin is bringing Ed Orgeron back to LSU, where the Mayor of Crawfish Country will serve as the Tigers’ special assistant to recruiting and defense.
Kiffin and Orgeron have a long history together dating back to their time as assistants at USC on Pete Carroll's staff. Orgeron served as Kiffin's staff at Tennessee, and followed Kiffin to USC in 2010 to take a role as his defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator with the Trojans. It was none other than Orgeron who took over as interim head coach for USC after Kiffin was fired on a tarmac.
The recruiting role for Orgeron at LSU is notable. As Pete Thamel pointed out, loosened NCAA staffing restrictions now allow programs to deploy experienced coaches like Orgeron in off-field recruiting-focused roles without requiring them to coach a specific position group.
Orgeron, who led LSU to a national championship in 2019, is one of college football's elite recruiters. Even after his departure from LSU, the sentient Marlboro Red still carries enormous credibility across talent-rich Louisiana's high school football circles.
If LSU successfully tightens its grip on in-state recruiting, Alabama could feel the effects as much as anyone. The Crimson Tide have consistently pulled top-50 prospects from Louisiana for years, and Orgeron’s return will go a long way to building a fence around the state.
