Few expected to see Ed Orgeron back in Baton Rouge so soon after the program fired him in 2021. However, the new LSU head coach, Lane Kiffin, understands what Orgeron can offer, especially in Louisiana recruiting. What made the move interesting was Coach O’s willingness to accept a role with a significantly lower salary than he had earned as a head coach in Baton Rouge. But Kiffin, who has known Orgeron for 26 years, isn’t surprised by that.

“So in 2000, we were both assistants. I met him at USC on Pete Carroll’s staff,” Lane Kiffin said during his June 17 appearance on the In the Bayou With Tyrann Mathieu show when asked about his relationship with Coach O. “It was my first college job, and so I would have been like 24 or something, and he was the recruiting coordinator.”

“So I got to learn from him to see like how he recruited and the passion and the drive and like no job too small. And really, now as I’m here, I really realize that’s the Louisiana in him. Like, there is no job too small. It doesn’t matter what his salary is.”

Orgeron will earn a base salary of $100,000 during his 8-month contract with the Tigers. In comparison, the former LSU head coach was making around $9 million a year when he was fired by the program. Coach O had secured a $17 million payout from the Tigers after his firing.

When it comes to recruiting, no one did it better than Coach Ed, and Kiffin can vouch for that fact. One incident that he still remembers is the recruitment of former USC LB Brian Cushing. As a first-timer, it was quite a tedious task for Kiffin to land Cushing, as the player’s father was leaning toward Notre Dame.

Kiffin remembers that Coach O flew all the way to New Jersey to help him land the recruit for the team. The Trojans landed Cushing, who played 4 seasons with them and was eventually drafted into the NFL.

“He’s always the best recruiter I’ve been around, but now, when we put him here, because before he was just recruiting for the place he was at… Now, you feel it in here. We do these meetings with the kids, and he talks about it, especially to a Louisiana kid, ‘like it’s in your DNA,'” Kiffin said in the interview.

What makes Coach O special is his ability to relate to high school prospects who want to play for LSU. His own football journey had that track, as he wanted to represent LSU “no matter what.” The timing was a match made in heaven for the Kiffin-Orgeron duo. The new HC needed a reliable face who understands the state, and he got exactly that in Coach O.

Ed Orgeron’s responsibilities at LSU

Coach O has already begun making his mark for the 2027 cycle. He helped the Tigers secure the commitment of four-star in-state RB Trey Martin. Moreover, he has been alongside Kiffin when LSU hosts elite five-star prospects. In June 2026, LSU landed double-digit commitments, including five-star prospects.

“I’m excited to bring Coach Orgeron back to LSU. 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,” Kiffin had said upon hiring Coach O.

But his responsibilities don’t end there. Kiffin also wants him to help the Tigers on defense. While Coach O made his name in recruiting, he started his coaching career as a defensive line coach at Miami. And LSU can really use his knowledge of the game as the program looks to bounce back after a disappointing 2025 season.