Coach O being back in Baton Rouge was good news for college football fans everywhere. His unique character and voice were dearly missed from sideline interviews. But there is a hidden cost and that is the reduction in salary for Orgeron in his new role.

Ed Orgeron has signed a new 8-month contract with LSU as a special assistant to defense and recruiting. He will earn $100,000, and the deal runs from Thursday until January 31, 2027. He will report to general manager Billy Glasscock instead of head coach Lane Kiffin.

When you take into account the 2019 natty winning team was under Orgeron, this contract starts to look even more strange. Earlier, he was earning a much higher seven-figure salary of around $7–8 million per year as head coach. After being fired, he also received a $17 million buyout and has not worked full-time in coaching since his 51–20 run from 2016 to 2021.

There was always a consensus among the fans that Coach O was more of a game manager than a pure tactician. LSU is bringing him back slowly to rebuild trust and first see how well he performs before giving him bigger responsibilities again. But it still comes with benefits like his payment is fully guaranteed if he is fired without cause, but there are also rules where he may have to return money depending on how he leaves the job.

He does not get performance bonuses, but he does get benefits like a car or a monthly car allowance. Now, it’s his time to prove his caliber through his recruiting and defense expertise, and Lane Kiffin’s already counting on him.

“I’m excited to bring Coach Orgeron back to LSU,” Lane Kiffin said. “He brings us tremendous value with his ability to recruit elite players nationally, but especially the impact he can have for us recruiting the great state of Louisiana. Coach O understands my expectations and commitment to being a championship program. I look forward to seeing him with recruits and his intensity working with our defensive players.”

Ed Orgeron built his coaching name mainly through recruiting top players, especially from Louisiana. During his time at LSU from 2016 to 2021, he focused on bringing in strong local and southern talent. Many of these players became part of the 2019 national championship team, which is considered one of the best college football teams.

Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson were some of his top recruits. Now, he can help Lane Kiffin and his team to bring in solid players for the 2027 and 2028 classes and build the momentum early.

Former head coaches taking massive pay cuts or massive demotions to return to a beloved program or help out an old friend is a recurring, fascinating trend in college football. Because massive buyouts usually fund these coaches’ lifestyles after they are fired, they can afford to work for pennies.

Will Muschamp was fired as the head coach at South Carolina in 2020, Muschamp was owed a $15 million buyout from the Gamecocks. In 2021, Muschamp returned to his alma mater, the University of Georgia, where he played safety in the 1990s. He initially joined Kirby Smart’s staff as a low-profile defensive analyst making a fraction of his former salary. He was later promoted to co-defensive coordinator, helping the Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships.

Bob Stoops retired in 2017 as the winningest head coach in Oklahoma history, handing the reins over to Lincoln Riley. When Riley abruptly shocked the college football world by leaving for USC in late 2021, Oklahoma was left entirely in the lurch. Stoops famously came out of retirement immediately to serve as the interim head coach for the Alamo Bowl. He did it strictly to stabilize his beloved program during a crisis, famously stating he didn’t care about the money and just wanted to help the Sooners transition to the Brent Venables era.

Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron’s old connection

Ed Orgeron and Kiffin also already had a long working relationship. They worked together at USC from 2001 04. Later, Orgeron joined Kiffin again at Tennessee in 2009 and then followed him back to USC in 2010. After Kiffin left USC in 2013, Orgeron went on to become the interim head coach.

After leaving LSU in 2021, Orgeron stayed away from coaching for a while, but he still wanted to return. Now that the opportunity has come, he is back in Baton Rouge working with LSU again.

More than his connection with Kiffin, he was ready to take this step. Ed Orgeron had already shown interest in returning to LSU before the official deal happened. After Lane Kiffin became head coach, reports from CBS Sports said LSU was open to bringing Orgeron back to the staff. Orgeron himself also said he was ready to consider a return to coaching.

“I’d consider it,” Orgeron said during an interview on ESPN Radio’s Unsportsmanlike. “I love LSU. I’ve still got my home in Baton Rouge. I love the Tigers, and I’m getting back to coaching, for sure, I’d consider it. No doubt.”

Now, the Tigers got him back at a very crucial time. It is Lane Kiffin’s first season with them, and the team is hoping for a playoff run that they couldn’t get during Brian Kelly’s tenure. Both of their experiences might help the team finally get that Natty back to Death Valley.