2016 Purdue Football Coaching Search: Ed Orgeron

Candidate Tier #2

Category: Old(ish) Candidates, Gumbo Enthusiasts

Who Is He?

Ed “Dip N Grits” Orgeron. Ed “Old Bay Beignets” Orgeron. Ed “Jumbo Jambalaya” Orgeron. Ed “Andouille Arteries” Orgeron. Ed “Banjo Lullaby” Orgeron. Ed “Red Bean Rutabaga” Orgeron. Ed “Paprika Po Boy” Orgeron. Ed “Gumbo Gravy” Orgeron. Ed “Crawdad Moonshine” Orgeron. Ed “Seaweed Sweet Tea” Orgeron.

I’m in love Ed “Alligator Etouffee” Orgeron. I need him in my life. I want to watch daily press conferences held in that deep Cajun accent. I want to hear him wax about how he misses his aunt’s cauliflower cocktails. I want to host a weekly cooking show where I make absurd Orgeron-inspired dishes.

I need Ed Orgeron in my life.

Orgeron is currently the interim head coach at LSU, promoted from the defensive line coach and lead recruiter. He held the same position at USC under Lane Kiffin, and went 6-2 as interim after Kiffin’s firing.

Coach Eaux has been an assistant for a dozen college programs around the country, and his only other head coaching stint was an uneventful period at Ole Miss from 2005-2007. Wait, did I say uneventful? I meant Orgeron often took his shirt off and challenged his players to wrestling matches, physically fought several members of the media, forced assistant coaches to run wind sprints, and bled Red Bull.

Since then, countless stories have been written praising Orgeron for completely changing his approach with his team, his assistants, the media, and the fans, and he seems to be the most generous person in the world if you watch his press conferences at LSU. His players at USC were willing to overthrow the athletic department when he passed over for the head coaching job.

We need Ed Orgeron.

Why would he be successful at Purdue?

Because he’s been successful at every stop after the Ole Miss disaster, and his experience with defensive linemen fits like a glove with Purdue’s history. He’s a dynamic recruiter, he’d bring an energy to West Lafayette we haven’t had since Brees’ early years, HE KNOWS DREW BREES FROM HIS TIME AS A SAINTS ASSISTANT SO HE OBVIOUSLY ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT PURDUE, and his press conferences would be legendary.

Why could he flop at Purdue?

Because the Big Ten isn’t the SEC, and Purdue doesn’t have nearly the recruiting resources he’s used to form his time at Ole Miss, USC, Tennessee, and LSU. And his schtick could wear thin on some players (and some alumni), especially if the team goes on long losing stretches.

Honestly? Orgeron might be best in the role of interim HC. The guy who injects enthusiasm into a program, rallies together after the head coach has been fire, and moves on to the next stop. The only time he’s had full control of a program, for multiple years at a time, was at Ole Miss. Ed Orgeron should coach every team on an interim basis, is what I’m trying to say.

Would he come to Purdue?

I live in Pittsburgh. I would buy season tickets, cook Ed Orgeron gameday meals every weekend, do his laundry, grow his okra, grind the coffee he injects directly into his veins…I would do anything to get Ed Orgeron to West Lafayette.

But would he take the job? Would he even listen to Purdue? Well…let’s just assume he doesn’t get the LSU job on a permanent basis (even though there’s a really good chance he does). Baylor has an opening, Houston might have an opening, South Carolina and Auburn and Kentucky might have openings, Notre Dahahahaha they would never hire Orgeron. There are openings that Orgeron would listen to before Purdue…but Purdue is likely the only open Big Ten job this winter. So it’s extremely unlikely…but you never know which way the gumbo will bubble.