Sports

CBS Sports Lists Three “Best Available” Openings for Ed Orgeron

CBS Sports Lists Three Best Available Openings for Ed Orgeron

Currently, there are a handful of college football openings through the first month of the 2025 season. As the season goes along, there will be plenty more.
Some of the current openings are not surprising. Three coaches began the season on the hot seat: Brent Pry at Virginia Tech, Sam Pittman at Arkansas, and DeShaun Foster at UCLA, none of whom made it through September.
It is going to be some time before a head coach is hired at those schools, but one name is becoming a popular name with some of the openings. Former LSU coach Ed Orgeron said earlier this week that he wants to get back into coaching. One college football writer listed three attractive jobs for the former Tigers coach.
Former LSU Coach Ed Orgeron Wants Back on the Sideline
When we last saw Orgeron, he was fired by LSU just two years removed from winning the National Championship. After a combined 11-11 record in the two seasons after beating Clemson in the title game, he was let go in Baton Rouge.
He has been out of the game for four years now, but he is ready to return to the sideline, he told Jacques Doucet of WAFB-TV earlier this week.
“All depends what the best thing available is, but I’m ready to coach again,” said Orgeron. “I left a little bit of meat on the bone. I’m ready to go.”
It’s not surprising to see Orgeron getting the itch to get back into coaching. He has 10 years as a head coach at three different schools. He spent three years at Ole Miss, one at USC, and six at LSU. Will Backus of CBS Sports listed the three best “available’’ options for Orgeron.
Three Ed Orgeron’s Best Available Options to Return to Coaching Listed
Backus listed Arkansas, UCLA, and Oklahoma State as the three best available options for Orgeron right now. It should be noted that additional openings are expected to arise. He also listed Tulane, which is an interesting option if Jon Sumrall leaves for a Power 4 job.
One issue that Orgeron would likely face is the significant growth of the transfer portal and the impact of name, image, and likeness since his tenure at LSU. Adjusting to the current times might be hard for the 64-year-old.
“Though he’s been on the outside looking in for a majority of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness era, Orgeron is still a marketable name. He took over at LSU in the immediate wake of Les Miles’ departure and, in 2019, produced one of the greatest seasons in program history by leading the Tigers to a 15-0 record and a win in the College Football Playoff National Championship,’’ wrote Backus.
Producing a winner now compared to his time at LSU is completely different. The transfer portal and NIL have become a game-changer in the sport. There are positives and negatives to hiring Orgeron, and someone will take a chance and hire him this coaching cycle.
All of these jobs are attractive, but Orgeron is in no rush, and his options will be more numerous the later the season goes on.