The trophy case at the LSU football complex is in need of an expansion as coach Ed Orgeron took home the latest honor for the Tigers from their special season.
Orgeron was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year after he led the top-ranked Tigers to an SEC championship and their first College Football Playoff appearance.
Some of the who’s who of hot coaching names were in the mix next to Orgeron for the award.
Orgeron received 33 of 56 first-place votes from Top 25 poll voters.
Baylor’s Matt Rhule, who led the Bears to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the Big 12 championship game, finished second, while Ohio State’s Ryan Day was third, and Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck was fourth.
This is Orgeron’s third full season as LSU coach and the Tigers’ record has improved each year. He was elevated to interim coach during the 2016 season after Les Miles was fired and eventually landed his dream job.
Orgeron is the third different LSU coach to win the award since it was established in 1998, joining Nick Saban in 2003 and Miles in 2011. Saban and Miles both led their teams to the BCS championship game, with Saban winning and Miles losing.
LSU is set to play No. 4 Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinals on Dec. 28 at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
