Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron, architect of the Tigers’ 2019 national championship, is emerging as a prime candidate in two high-profile college football searches, reports Pete Nakos of ON3.
Orgeron has engaged in direct communications with Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek as the Razorbacks seek a successor to fired coach Sam Pittman, whose tenure ended amid a dismal 2-7 season.
The 64-year-old Cajun native’s gritty, blue-collar style aligns seamlessly with Arkansas’ passionate fanbase and SEC ethos, offering a blueprint for toughness and recruiting dominance in talent-rich Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.
Orgeron’s LSU legacy — interim success in 2016 (6-2 record, Citrus Bowl victory), followed by the unforgettable 15-0 championship run led by Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase in 2019 — positions him for redemption after back-to-back subpar years (5-5 in 2020, 6-6 in 2021) that prompted his exit.
Arkansas is casting a wide net, with Penn State’s James Franklin and Tulane’s Jon Sumrall also allegedly in the mix, but Orgeron’s emotional leadership could ignite Razorback revival.
Meanwhile, Orgeron is also a “name to watch” for Oregon State, mired at 2-8 amid Pac-12 realignment woes, where his proven program-building acumen could stabilize the Beavers.
A return to the SEC with the Hogs would cap Orgeron’s redemption tour, blending nostalgia with renewed ambition in Fayetteville’s raucous Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
