Ad Disclosure
After Florida held off LSU 16-10 on Saturday, the process of finding the next permanent head football coach for LSU took a turn away from the audition that had been going on.
After suffering a second loss in three games, Ed Orgeron is probably not the answer for the powers that be at LSU. Athletic Director Joe Alleva can move forward to more actively pursue a Jimbo Fisher, the school’s reported first choice, or a Larry Fedora.
But in doing so, they also have to keep in mind the idea of playing a little defense.
One thing Les Miles achieved before he was fired was putting together a coaching staff with some impressive pieces, the most notable being Orgeron. It also includes maybe the hottest defensive coordinator in college football, Dave Aranda.
These are coaches who would be welcome additions to just about any staff in college football. And here’s the scary part for LSU: If you let them go, your new coach could end up having to coach against Aranda somewhere and, maybe even more frightening, recruit against Orgeron, one of the best in college football.
The Orgeron part is a particularly tricky situation. Let’s say Orgeron, unhappy with not getting the top job at LSU, leaves and is offered a position by, say, Alabama.
Here’s one of the premier recruiters in the game with deep roots in Louisiana going to the one school in America that can make a serious run against LSU for the state’s top talents. There isn’t a coach in the world, with the possible exception of Texas-San Antonio coach Frank Wilson, better suited to recruit Louisiana than Orgeron, a native of the bayou.
Alabama already features star players from Louisiana such as left tackle Cam Robinson and outside linebacker Tim Williams. Imagine the damage Alabama can do in the bayou state with Orgeron recruiting there.
For that matter, imagine if he wound up joining John Chavis on the Texas A&M staff. Or Auburn.
As for Aranda, who has put together what is truly one of the great defenses ever assembled at LSU, having given up only 10 touchdowns in 10 games, how would you like to have to turn around and potentially play against him?
Of course, one would think that most coaches who would want the LSU job would strongly consider making an effort to keep both on staff. But you certainly don’t want tell a Jimbo Fisher who he has to hire, not when he already has a grade-A job where he feels he has autonomy on such issues.
So that’s the tricky part. Can you hire an A-list coach? If so, will that coach be willing to keep the members of your staff who could potentially turn around and do damage to you? And if so, is that coach capable of convincing said coaches to stay?
I’d love to be a fly on the wall for the conversation if a new coach asks Orgeron to stay on as recruiting coordinator. That would be interesting and could have a huge impact on the program’s immediate future.
Right now, if you’re an LSU supporter, you are probably hoping for a staff where Fisher is the head coach, Orgeron is the assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator, and Aranda (below) is the defensive coordinator.
But how realistic is any of that?
Certainly, FSU will go out of its way to keep Fisher after giving him a new contract a year ago. The program has already seen a modest decline from its national championship peak of 2013. Clemson is the ACC’s program of the moment. Louisville is on the rise. Within its state, FSU competes for players against the likes of Florida and Miami, which could make a run back to prominence under Mark Richt once a few recruiting classes are put together.
Maybe Fisher recognizes those challenges and knows it’s time to leave. Rallying the program only brings it back to where he’s already brought it. And falling short of that might be seen as unacceptable.
Ask Les Miles.
Go to LSU and you can be a hero just for bringing the program back to where Miles had it a couple years ago.
So you can see where this could be appealing if the money from LSU is right.
But what if LSU doesn’t land Fisher?
Tom Herman appears to be Texas’s to lose. Larry Fedora? Is he an upgrade? Mike Gundy? Does he pack enough punch with his resume? As you go down the list, you fairly quickly get to this question: “If we’re going to consider this guy, why not just keep Orgeron?”
And you’re right back at the place you just shied away from when Derrius Guice was tackled at the 1-yard line Saturday.
Hey, look at it this way: If you end up circling back to Coach O, at least you don’t have to worry about him recruiting for Saban and you’ll probably keep Aranda.
