Lane Kiffin gave an outpouring of love and support for Ed Orgeron when asked about Orgeron’s return to the LSU team following his hiatus since fall camp to take care of a serious health issue.
The current LSU head coach spoke emotional words about the former LSU head coach who is in his first year as the Tigers’ special assistant to recruiting and defense. Kiffin was asked about Orgeron during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference in the aftermath of Orgeron’s return to the sidelines for LSU’s past 2 victories over Mississippi State and Auburn.
Kiffin spoke to reporters about exactly what the 65-year-old Orgeron means to the program and what his return to the program after that health scare means as No. 15 LSU enters a bye week before its Week 10 home showdown against Alabama. Orgeron was the Tigers’ head coach from 2016-21, going 51-20 and leading LSU to a national championship in 2019.
Orgeron is a Louisiana native who came home, so to speak, to lead LSU and in 2026 he’s done it again after a coaching hiatus, joining Kiffin’s staff. But Orgeron’s first year back in Baton Rouge hasn’t gone according to script, with that health issue taking him away from the team until his recent return. Lane Kiffin is so thankful to have him back.
“Great. You know, Mississippi State was the first one where he was technically back at the game. He’s met with some recruits before the previous week, but it was the first time back walking out in Tiger Stadium,” Kiffin said.
“It was awesome. He came to me after and said how appreciative he was that I brought him back and how special that was for him. He never knew whether he would walk out there again, you know, and hadn’t been back here in the years in between. And so, to kind of mend that, and I love that I was able to be a part of that.”
Orgeron has hit the recruiting trail during LSU’s bye week, showing that he’s back in every form, not only regarding actual games but regarding his other role as a centerpiece of LSU’s recruiting.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
