Les Miles was fired on Sunday, and athletic director Joe Alleva introduced LSU’s new interim head coach less than 24 hours later.
“It’s never easy when you make a change, especially when a change involves a man like Les Miles,” Alleva said in an opening statement prior to introducing Miles’ replacement.
Enter Ed Orgeron, LSU’s articulate, raspy-voiced, energy-laden interim head coach with a 16-27 previous coaching record who says LSU’s football program is headed in a different direction.
Monday, Orgeron’s first day as the leader of his home state’s flagship University’s team, was a dream come true, he said.
“Growing up in south Louisiana, being the head coach at LSU was a dream,” the Larose native said. “This is the greatest job in America.”
Orgeron revealed he was informed of the program’s decision to appoint him head coach on Sunday after a phone call from Alleva and LSU president F. King Alexander. He was introduced to LSU’s team in his new role that evening.
“It’s a great day in my life, I’ll tell you that,” Orgeron said.
LSU’s interim head coach will make his debut in LSU’s homecoming game at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday against Missouri (2-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) at Tiger Stadium.
Orgeron, who opened LSU’s practice on Monday, said he’s focused on bringing together LSU’s coaching staff early this week and putting together a practice plan for Tuesday and beyond.
He’ll worry about Missouri afterward.
“Our offense, defense are working on Missouri,” he said.
LSU’s change at head coach, although temporary, is a morsel in the team-wide changes Orgeron anticipates under his direction.
Sophomore defensive end Arden Key, a protégé under Orgeron on the defensive line for two seasons now, says he believes LSU’s newly-appointed head coach will shape the future of the program long term.
“I see us doing great toward the end of the season,” Key said. “I feel like he will solidify the head coaching spot, and they’re going to give it to him for next year and for years to come.”
Key believes changes to be implemented by Orgeron will remove the “interim” tag from his title.
What are the changes Orgeron promised?
“The way we do things,” Orgeron said. “Some freshness, some energy. When things don’t work, you have to change them. We’re going to flip the script. Less time on the practice field, more time in the meeting room.”
First, he has to puzzle together a coaching staff and adhesively bond and position the staffers Miles left behind, which Orgeron said will consume his first full day at the helm.
LSU and Orgeron confirmed all coaching changes on Monday, including former tight ends coach Steve Ensminger’s move to interim offensive coordinator. Ensminger will be stationed in the press box Saturday.
Orgeron announced Dave Aranda will remain LSU’s defensive coordinator and is now LSU’s newest associate head coach — Orgeron’s right-hand man.
“I’m going to lean on him,” Orgeron said.
Shortly after Orgeron’s call with Alleva and Alexander and a quick conversation with his wife to announce the news, the 55-year-old coach dialed Pete Jenkins, a life-long mentor to Orgeron and defensive line guru.
“I think the world of the man. I think our players are going to love him,” Orgeron said of Jenkins, a former LSU defensive coach from 1980-90 and 2000-01.
Jenkins will join the Tigers’ defensive coaching staff as the defensive line coach, and Eric Mateos is LSU’s newest tight ends coach.
“When I introduced Pete Jenkins, our team went crazy,” Orgeron said.
In part because of the change at the top, Orgeron warned LSU fans to expect a new coaching staff, a new style of play and a new offense.
“You can expect a new style of play on offense,” he said. “We’re going to spread the ball out a bit. There’s a lot of things on offense we’ve done well. I have a different passing game. We want to be more creative. We know people load up the box on Leonard. We want to put the ball in our playmakers’ hands.”
To rid LSU of its recent clock-management woes, Orgeron said he’ll assign someone to clock-management and game-management duties in the press box.
Like the time manager, LSU hopes Orgeron is its remedy.
“Ed Orgeron is the right man to take over the program,” Alleva concluded.