Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron recently made a surprising announcement. The head coach agreed to depart the program following a 4-3 start, which was mutually agreed upon. Brad Davis took over as interim head coach and was succeeded by current head coach Brian Kelly.
Orgeron was also the head coach at Ole Miss and USC. He has a 67-47 overall coaching record. However, he also has a 4-0 record in Bowl Games and a 2-0 record in the College Football Playoffs. He was named the 2019 College Football Coach of the Year.
Ed Orgeron Mounts Comeback Campaign
In a recent interview with “ON3 Sports”, the former LSU head coach revealed he’d be open to a return. This also included as both a head coach and a D-line coach in the right place. However, it was also specified what was classified as the ‘right place.’
NEW: Ed Orgeron wants to be your head coach — or even your defensive line coach
“I’m not gonna take anything, and not everybody’s gonna take me. So, it may be a head coach job. It may be a defensive line job with someone that I believe can win a championship.
…I’m a… pic.twitter.com/tilrOn0ciw
— On3 (@On3sports) October 22, 2025
“I want to fit. It may be a head coach job. It may be a D-Line job with someone, I believe, who can win a championship. I just think that when I do an interview, I want them to want me as much as I want them.” Orgeron revealed during the interview.
This is not the first time Oregeron has made this move. After leaving Ole Miss in 2007, he spent a stint away before returning as a Defensive line coach with Tennessee after a stint in the NFL. These are the potential destinations that could serve as his rebound.
LSU, Head Coach
This seems an entirely unlikely option; however, it has to be discussed. Currently, LSU is going in a downward direction. Following the loss against Vanderbilt, LSU is currently 5-2 on the season and is in danger of missing the College Football Playoffs again under Kelly.
Now sitting at 5-2, LSU will likely miss the College Football Playoffs under its high-profile head coach for another year. According to PFSN’s playoff meter, the Tigers currently have just a 14% chance of reaching the postseason.
SU’s ambition over the last few seasons has been to contend for a National Championship, and its current head coach hasn’t delivered. Who could be a better head coach than the one who led them to their last national title in 2019?
However, just two years after going 15-0 with one of the best College Football teams of all time, everything fell apart between both parties. LSU went on to go 5-5. Orgeron started out his final season in Louisiana with a 3-3 record.
“A strained relationship between coach & administration – rooted in team management & public/private behavior – has warped into an untenable situation, distrust & outbursts.” ON3’s Ross Dellenger revealed back in 2021.
With that, it appears that the relationship between the former head coach and LSU has completely broken down. However, with Coach Kelly currently under pressure as the program’s national championship hopes dwindle, it had to be considered.
Florida, Defensive-Line Coach
After deciding to fire Billy Napier, Florida has continued its search for its new head coach. Some of the names that have emerged include Lane Kiffin, Eli Drinkwitz, and James Franklin. However, there may be one potential complication.
Currently, Kiffin appears to be the favorite for the job. After playing down the rumors in the media recently, the frenzy surrounding his potential move to Florida has continued. However, Ole Miss’s head coach’s upcoming decision could affect Orgeron.
During the former LSU head coach’s time at USC, Orgeron was a part of Kiffin’s staff when he was the head coach. The two also spent a stint together at the University of Tennessee from 2001 to 2004. In the recent interview, the former USC coach shared his memories.
“When we first met, Lane, we were working. When guys would go to get workouts in, Lane would stay behind studying film, and was like, You going to work on those muscles, huh? Why don’t you stay here and work on those plays?”
With an amount of funding and investment that rivals even Penn State’s and a history of National Title-winning seasons, Florida surely has the money to attract Orgeron as well in the unlikely scenario that Kiffin takes the job.
Head Coach, UAB
With the former LSU coach looking to potentially take a head coaching job, a stint as head coach at a program with less pressure could suit him perfectly. Recently, UAB decided to fire head coach Trent Dilfer following a 53-33 loss to Florida Atlantic.
Despite Difler’s unfortunate stint at UAB, he was highly respected in the program, as evidenced by the comments from the current interim head coach. Athletic Director Mark Ingram also shared a similar message after making the decision to terminate Difler’s contract.
“We want to find people who have had success, as I said, college success. Coaches who have had some success navigating the transfer rules and managing the players and that kind of thing.” The Athletic director shared the following after the decision.
When looking for a standard of winning, UAB would surely take a head coach who has won a National Championship and gone 15-0 in the past. In addition, during his recent interview, Orgeron revealed he’s looking for exactly what Ingrim is looking for.
“I’m a championship coach and I’m gonna bring a winning program to that university. I can recruit, I can do those things. I’ve proven I can do it, and I’m ready to go. I also want to have a great working relationship with those I’m working with.” The former coach shared.
While these two seem an unlikely pairing at first. Looking at what Ingram wants in a head coach and what Orgeron brings to the table. They could potentially be the perfect fit for each other.
Head Coach, Oregon State
According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Orgeron has some interest in the Oregon State job. Nakos wrote that Orgeron is open to returning to the West Coast. This report came after the program fired coach Trent Bray in the wake of a 0-7 start a couple of weeks ago.
The report also mentioned that the head coach is open to relocation and moving to the West Coast. He previously spent several years on the West Coast as an assistant and interim head coach at USC.
Similar to UAB, rather than approaching another Big Ten or SEC school, the former head coach could settle down at a program with less pressure. With the Beavers, currently in the midst of a winless season, both sides could do with a new start on the West Coast.
Head Coach, Arkansas Razorbacks
After firing former head coach Sam Pittman, Bobby Petrino is currently the interim head coach at Arkansas. However, after being recently rejected by Dan Mullen, as well as the ongoing coaching carousel, The Razorbacks may have to settle for a more realistic option.
Orgeron’s career has taken him across the college football landscape. However, as a Louisiana native, the former LSU head coach may have some recruitment power in the nearby state.
The Razorbacks may struggle to land top prospects, as they will have to compete with offers from LSU, Texas, and Texas A&M. However, the former LSU head coach’s name as a National Championship winner may still hold some influence in the state.
Arkansas’s defense also needs a revitalization. Currently, they rank 186th in the nation. Since 2019, according to PFSN’s Defensive Impact metrics, the Razorbacks are narrowly outside of the top 1000, coming in at 972.
