Ed Orgeron takes up boxing during college football offseason

Ed Orgeron has a new hobby.

The LSU coach has had extra free time this offseason due to many college football activities being suspended. With that free time, Orgeron has taken up a new sport: boxing.

Orgeron began training with Baton Rouge-based trainer L.J. Morvant roughly two months ago, spending two hours a night three nights a week working on his form and technique. Morvant is impressed with Orgeron’s skills, and the LSU coach has even managed to bruise his trainer through body pads.

“He’s an incredibly strong and explosive man,” Morvant told Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated. “He loves boxing. It was love at first punch.”

Orgeron has been a lifelong boxing fan and always wanted to learn the sport, and took advantage of the free time to do it. He even added that being the pupil and not the teacher has made him a better coach.

“I have extra time now,” Orgeron said. “I get in there in the ring and I am the pupil. We go at it. He teaches me. It’s really good for me to see how it is to be the pupil again. It makes me a better coach.”

As for Morvant, a lifelong LSU fan, training the school’s football coach has been a dream — and even made him cool to his kids.

“This man has motivated me in ways he doesn’t understand. He has redeemed me completely in my kids’ eyes,” Morvant said. “When daddy is coaching Coach Orgeron, daddy is a hero.”

Well, Coach O is definitely a guy who knows how to motivate people. It sounds like he’s becoming quite the amateur boxer at the age of 59, and is in pretty good shape. Plus, it’s certain to impress his players once they’re together again in person.