LSU names Ed Orgeron head coach

Ed Orgeron will be elevated from beloved interim to LSU’s permanent head coach. The school made the announcement at a news conference Saturday afternoon

The (Baton Rouge) Advocate and FootballScoop.com were first with the reports.

Athletic director Joe Alleva said Orgeron "changed the culture" at LSU. "Changed it individually and team."

Though there was always a chance Orgeron could earn the job once he became the interim coach, it was widely believed he needed to beat Alabama or at least run the table otherwise. Instead, he went 5-2 with losses to Alabama and Florida but beat Texas A&M in the season finale 54-39 to chants of “Keep Coach O!” in the locker room.

LSU commits weigh in on decision to name Ed Orgeron as head coach

“My plan is to take my time and assemble the best staff in America,” Orgeron said, adding that defensive coordinator Dave Aranda has committed to remaining at LSU.

On the other side of the ball, Orgeron said he expects to lure an elite offensive coordinator who will be adept at running a spread offense, which he sees as a requirement in the modern college game. He declined to mention candidates, even when specifically asked about Kiffen, an old friend who is currently the offensive coordinator at Alabama.

Orgeron’s popularity among fans was instant and evident from his first walk into Tiger Stadium after he’d received the interim job. He’s been a household name in his home state for decades, and his grass-roots support was hardly unexpected.

“We’re proud to be a part of Louisiana and we understand LSU, what it means,” Orgeron said. “This is a great day in my life, obviously, but it’s not about me.”

The decision to hire Orgeron represents a stunning turn of events for a program that fired Les Miles one-third of the way through his 12th season at LSU with the hopes of landing a big-name coach that could compete with Alabama’s Nick Saban.

Instead, LSU has given the job to a gregarious Cajun who it previously employed as its defensive line coach and went 10-25 as a head coach during three dysfunctional seasons at Ole Miss between 2005-07.

For Orgeron personally, this represents an incredible triumph after his Ole Miss flameout and similar scenario at Southern Cal, where he was bitterly disappointed not to be named head coach after going 6-2 as the interim following Lane Kiffin’s firing.

It’s unclear what it means for LSU, which initially had its sights set on top-level coaches like Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher but had narrowed its focus to Houston’s Tom Herman by the weekend.

When it became clear Herman was more likely headed to Texas, LSU settled on Orgeron with the high likelihood that much of the current staff will remain in place.

"Only one candidate got an offer from us, and he accepted this morning," Alleva said.

Contributing: Dan Wolken of USA TODAY Sports; and the USA TODAY Network; and The Associated Press

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