Paul Finebaum says Ed Orgeron has exceeded expectations, calls LSU’s leader ‘Coach of the Year’
By Keith Farner
Published:
LSU coach Ed Orgeron was not a popular hire when LSU pulled the interim tag off of him in 2016. There were other coaches that media and fans figured would be more successful to replace Les Miles.
But Orgeron in 2019 made arguably the most important coaching hire when he brought in Joe Brady, who has helped re-tool the Tigers offense. SEC Network host Paul Finebaum believes Orgeron’s ability to pull off that move while managing his existing staff like Steve Ensminger, was remarkable.
“Yes, anyone who says they saw this coming is not being truthful,” Finebaum said during his weekly segment on “The Roundtable” on Birmingham-based JOX 94.5 radio station. “As of this moment, and we all know what date it is, Ed Orgeron is the national Coach of the Year. He’s been spectacular in so many different ways and he’s done it because of some chess moves that he’s made.”
While many praise Brady’s hire, they overlook Ensminger’s reaction and how Orgeron has managed that staff to produce the best LSU offense in recent memory.
“The move that nobody’s talking about is his ability to work with Steve Ensminger in bringing in Joe Brady,” Finebaum said. “Steve Ensminger is still there, he’s still influential in that meeting room, and instead of pouting like a lot of us would’ve done, he embraced the move by Coach O to bring in Joe Brady, he’s mentored him, he’s nurtured him.”
Finebaum relayed information he picked up last week while he was in Baton Rouge on Friday and Saturday that Athletics Director Scott Woodward, who worked with Nick Saban at LSU, and Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M.
“He said Coach O is the best person he’s ever seen one-on-one, not only with players, recruits, but people associated with that program,” Finebaum said. “… This guy has surprised us all and I think it’s the feel-good story of 2019.”
LSU is off this week coming off a narrow win over Auburn, with the huge game at Alabama ahead on Nov. 9.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
