Last week, the LSU Tigers hired Ed Orgeron as a special assistant to recruiting and defense. This is his second stint with the Tigers after a brief hiatus, and Urban Meyer is left preparing against one of the “best” he’s known.

“I’ve known coach O forever. And I use the term often, certified nut job is what he is. I mean, he rips his shirt off. But I’ll tell you what, he was arguably the best defensive line coach in the game,” Meyer said on The Triple Opinion Podcast.

Orgeron has returned to Baton Rouge, but as a staffer under the new head coach, Lane Kiffin. This time, he signed a one-year deal worth $100,000 million for his recruiting skills. After all, if Coach O wants to land a prospect, he does not leave any stone unturned.

From speaking to the Los Angeles mayor in a long process to win Adrian Peterson, ensuring Joe Burrow had his favorite crawfish, to taking a janitor’s help to locate Fred Davis’ papers for admission, Coach O has earned his nickname.

“And then he was one of the great recruiters for many, many years. I recruited against him, coached against him. So, this is a no-brainer,” Meyer added on May 26.

Orgeron was associated with the Tigers for a long time. He joined the program in 2016 as an interim head coach after Les Miles was fired. That kickstarted Orgeron’s most successful years as a coach. He led the Tigers to two Citrus Bowls and one Fiesta Bowl appearance. 

In 2019, the Tigers recorded an undefeated 15-0 season, which resulted in one Peach Bowl and CFP National Championship. Orgeron served as the Tigers’ head coach until 2021 before stepping away from coaching.

Coach O’s return to LSU is significant for another reason. He is also reunited with Kiffin.

Lain Kiffin Shares His Thoughts On Coach O’s Return

In November 2025, the LSU hired Lane Kiffin as its 34th head coach. The Tigers had finished 7-6 and failed to make the playoffs. Kiffin has brought Ed Orgeron back to the program and shared why he did so.

“It just seemed like the perfect time to bring him back,” Kiffin said per insider Pete Thamel’s X post. “We talked for a number of days about it. We had to figure out exactly what it was. I feel awesome about it. That’s a tremendous value anywhere, let alone the state of Louisiana.

Kiffin and Orgeron, a Louisiana native, have been long-time colleagues. Their partnership started over two decades ago. They first worked together at USC, then at Tennessee, and once again at USC. 

Orgeron was responsible for landing Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’Marr Chase, to name a few. 

This season is the first under Kiffin for LSU. The focus now shifts to how the Orgeron-Kiffin partnership impacts LSU's performance.

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar