5 desperate college football programs that should welcome Ed Orgeron back to coaching

I would like to see Ed Orgeron get a third opportunity to lead a college football program. While it has been a long four years since his LSU tenure ended, he apparently has the itch to get back into the coaching profession. Orgeron said as much while appearing on a recent episode of Pardon My Take. The Coach O experience is unlike anything I have covered throughout my entire sports writing career.

The highs were as high as the lows were low. While he leaves a ton to be desired from an X's and O's standpoint, he is one of the greatest recruiters in the history of the sport of college football, as well as a likable guy and a leader of men. He may only be as good as his coordinators allow him to be, but I think he could have success if he went to the right program. The question is if anyone will have him...

Orgeron knows it has been a minute since he last led a team, but he finally feels ready for his next gig.

“I think it’s time. I’m feeling it a little bit. Haven’t made the decision totally, but I’ve got my boys settled, coaching football now. It’s been four years since I’ve been out. I’m getting the itch again.”

After having won a national championship at LSU, what could be in store for the former SEC coach?

With deep coaching roots everywhere, where could the former LSU and Ole Miss head coach end up?

5. Auburn Tigers

From "Geaux Tigahs!" to "Go Tigers!", yes, I could get behind Coach O leading Auburn. This is a huge prove-it year for Hugh Freeze. John Cohen hired him away from Liberty under controversial circumstances to make Auburn good again. We are almost a decade removed from 2017. Since Orgeron is from Louisiana and has deep SEC ties, I think Auburn is a job he could handle quite well.

To me, it would be every bit the rollercoaster ride we have grown accustomed to with Auburn, under Orgeron. It would not shock me if he led the Tigers to their first national championship since 2010. It also would not shock me to see him get fired a few years later following a brutal 3-9 campaign. Auburn would be getting a much more likable version of Gene Chizik if they were to ever hire Orgeron.

With Orgeron's recruiting chops and familiarity with the SEC, I think this can be a potential slam dunk.

4. Florida State Seminoles

This would take some time, but it might actually work out for Ed Orgeron at Florida State. Although his loose ties to the ACC predate either Miami or Syracuse joining the league, I think that his cult of personality could help the Seminoles find some much-needed direction in the event it does not work out for Mike Norvell in back-to-back years. He needs the right coordinators, but he can recruit there.

Despite Clemson being near the top of its game, the ACC is a much easier league to win in than in the SEC. As long as Orgeron is willing to play the game when it comes to NIL and the transfer portal, he could turn Florida State around in a hurry. It may be a bit of a powder keg with him calling the shots in Tallahassee, but this could become one of the better jobs to open up either after this season or next.

My concern with Orgeron is he would not be a top-four choice for this position if it were to open up.

3. USC Trojans

There is no way this happens, but what if it did? I may be one of the biggest Lincoln Riley critics known to mankind. I just expect more out of USC because The Trojan Family forever claims that it wants more. And even though he has a thick Cajun accent, Coach O felt more like USC than many of the other guys they have had leading this program in recent years. He was incredible as their interim!

Optically, it is never going to happen, but what Orgeron did in his brief stint as the interim gave him the confidence to briefly be a great coach at LSU. This may be too far gone to ever happen, but what does USC need to right the ship as a football program? I would argue it is a defensive-minded head coach who can recruit, believes in running the football, and is not afraid of anyone. That is Coach O.

However, I would much rather give Matt Campbell $10 million-plus annually to leave Iowa State first.

2. Arkansas Razorbacks

If there is any job that would make a great deal of sense for Orgeron to take over in the SEC, it would have to be the Arkansas Razorbacks. While he is somewhat of a defensive-minded version of Sam Pittman, I know that Coach O would not take his foot off the gas in terms of recruitment like Pittman apparently has. To be able to lead a rival team of both LSU and Ole Miss, it could be of great intrigue.

Furthermore, Arkansas has had to accept mediocrity by default over the last two waves of conference realignment. I long for the days of Felix Jones and Darren McFadden running all over the field for Houston Nutt. Not to say the Razorbacks could become that under Coach O, but they owe it to themselves to try something new. More importantly, I want to hear him say "Woo Pig Sooie!" a ton.

If Arkansas' ceiling is 9-3 in the current college football landscape, I think Oregon could get it there.

1. Arizona Wildcats

I am going outside of the box here, but I think the Arizona Wildcats could be a team a quality head coach like Orgeron might gravitate to in the event that the Brent Brennan era goes nowhere fast. There is a ton of high school football talent in Arizona, as well as in the surrounding states. It is a place where good head coaches can briefly find success. More importantly, the expectations are very low.

Above all else, Arizona is one of the Four Corners schools joining the new Big 12. Right now, the Wildcats are firmly a bottom-quartile team in the 16-team league. We saw Kenny Dillingham awaken the sleeping giant at his alma mater up the road in Tempe. If Coach O is alive in Tucson, then that could be massive for the Wildcats. Imagine him using Rob Gronkowski to help recruits players there.

If given four years, Orgeron may have Arizona winning at least 10 games once and vying for Arlington.

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