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Ed Orgeron has been out of coaching since a national championship winning stint at LSU. It appears he’s ready to return to the sidelines.
The former head coach says he’s “getting the itch” ahead of the 2025 college football season. The timing of that announcement is curious.
Orgeron has been a head coach at three different programs. Those include Ole Miss, USC, and LSU.
His most recent stint resulted in a 2019 title as he assembled one of the greatest rosters in the sport’s history.
Led by Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’Marr Chase, the Tigers went a perfect 15-0. They won their last six games by an average of 29.3 points – all against P4 competition.
Unfortunately, Orgeron was unable to replicate that success in the years to follow. It led to his eventual firing in 2021.
LSU owed Ed Orgeron a lot of money.
The coach signed an extension in 2020 after that championship run. He went 11-11 over the next two seasons.
The Tigers parted ways after a 6-6 campaign in ’21. He was owed a buyout nearing $17 million according to his contract.
The terms of his payout structure were as follows:
O payments
Dec 2021: $5.68M
Jan 2022: $667K
Jun 2022: $1M
Jul 2022: $750K
Dec 2022: $1M
Jan 2023: 750K
Jun 2023: $750K
Jul 2023: $750K
Dec 2023: $750K
Jan 2024: $750K
Jun 2024: $500K
Jul 2024: $750K
Dec 2024: $500K
July 2025: $750K
Jun 2025: $426K
July 2025: $750K
Dec 2025: $426K— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 17, 2021
LSU would pay the $16.9 million across 18 installments, the first of which was $5.68 million. The remaining payments would range from $426,000 to $1 million.
The final check will be written in December of this year. After that, LSU will cut Orgeron from the payroll.
Coach O is now eyeing a new form of income.
It will be in the college football realm if he has his way.
“I think it’s time,” he said during an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast. “I haven’t made the decision totally… It’s been four years since I’ve been out. I’m getting the itch again…
“I really like college football. I would entertain the pros, but I think college football is where I’ve been, and I really like it.”
Ed Orgeron is ready to return to coaching. He’s been out of the game for longer than his liking.
He doesn’t need the money, though it is worth noting that half of his LSU buyout will go to his ex-wife, which makes the timing all the more intriguing.
Orgeron will soon be off of the LSU payroll. He might be back on the sidelines after receiving that final paycheck.