Ed Orgeron named LSU head coach
Ed Orgeron has been named as the head coach of LSU after a crazy Thanksgiving period.
On Thursday – before LSU’s visit and subsequent demolition of Texas A&M – there were rumors that Tom Herman, the much-sought-after Houston coach would be departing for Baton Rouge and was just about to pen a deal.
Joe Alleva tried to put messages out to the media saying that no discussion whatsoever had happened. LSU then crushed A&M 54-39 in a win that was even more dominant than that (the Aggies got their touchdown in the dying seconds), playing without Leonard Fournette, Arlen Key and a number of other stars. The players started cheering for Alleva and his staff to ‘Keep Coach O’, who is one of the most popular figures on the LSU staff. He took over as interim head coach after Les Miles was fired after the Tigers’ loss at Auburn.
Anyway, then came the rumor mill that Herman would not only meet with LSU but also meet with Texas. Texas was crushed at home by TCU on Friday, which basically – after the Kansas debacle 6 days’ beforehand – said goodbye to Longhorns coach Charlie Strong. Herman, who was a graduate assistant in Austin in 1999-2000, was known by then to be leaving his spot in Houston – a matter not helped by Houston’s hilarious loss to Memphis (This season, the Cougars have managed to defeat Oklahoma and Louisville and lose to SMU, Navy and Memphis. Yeah, we don’t get it either).
Herman was said to have a ‘heavy lean’ towards Texas – who has the bigger financial firepower than LSU.
Orgeron’s plight was also helped by the fact that LSU stretched out to Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher….. And their hand was pushed back.
So LSU went ahead and named Orgeron their head coach, and the reaction has been incredibly positive so far from LSU fans and the media alike.