Fansided

Ed Orgeron tries to explain parting of ways with Matt Canada

By Brad Berreman

BATON ROUGE, LA - OCTOBER 14: Head Coach Ed Orgeron of the LSU Tigers on the sidelines during a game against the Auburn Tigers at Tiger Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU defeated the Auburn 27-23. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
BATON ROUGE, LA - OCTOBER 14: Head Coach Ed Orgeron of the LSU Tigers on the sidelines during a game against the Auburn Tigers at Tiger Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU defeated the Auburn 27-23. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Ed Orgeron and Matt Canada were never a great match, but the LSU head coach needs to let it be as he changes offensive coordinators.

For as long as anyone can remember, even with the success Les Miles had and a solid pipeline of wide receivers that have gone to the NFL, LSU has struggled to find a quarterback and have a modern-looking college offense. Head coach Ed Orgeron has been tasked with changing that, and he’ll be on his second offensive coordinator in as many full seasons this year.

Upon getting the job on a permanent basis, Orgeron hired Matt Canada as LSU’s offensive coordinator. But after a 3-2 start last year, Orgeron stepped in to simply the shifts in Canada’s offense.

“This is Matt’s offense,” Orgeron said Oct. 2. “He runs it. He calls it. He scripts the plays. This is his offense.”

Six wins in their next seven games seem to help things, even with a bowl loss to Notre Dame. But LSU parted ways with Canada right away in January, after which he was quickly hired by Maryland as its offensive coordinator.

It clearly wasn’t a good fit with Canada, but at SEC Media Days on Monday Orgeron seemed to be struggling to let it go.

"It’s tough when you make a mistake, but it’s even tougher not to admit you made a mistake and it’s just not a good fit. I had to do the best what I thought for the LSU program, and that’s why I did it.”“Circumstances were different when I got the job,” Orgeron said Monday. “I went out and tried to get the best coordinator. … It didn’t work. And all the while I was saying: ‘You know what? Steve Ensminger is the guy, and if I have a chance, I’m going to hire him."

Steve Ensminger was LSU’s offensive coordinator when Orgeron was promoted to interim head coach in 2016. Orgeron went on to say a spread offense will be run, with as many as five wide receivers on the field at once, but with an emphasis on an even run-pass split.

“He runs more of the offense that I’m used to, an offense that we won championships with in the past.”

Next: 50 greatest college football players this century

Entering fall camp, even with the promise of a competition, Ohio State grad transfer Joe Burrow is the favorite to start under center for LSU in the season opener against Miami on Sept. 2.

Time will tell if a new coordinator and a new quarterback will legitimately yield a productive, modern-looking LSU offense this year. But if it doesn’t work out, Orgeron won’t be able to blame Canada.

Home/College Football