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New LSU Coach Ed Orgeron to Target Alabama's Lane Kiffin for OC
Orgeron is expected to finalize a contract with LSU that will earn him $3 million a year. Kiffin is in a one-year contract that makes him $1.4 million a year at Alabama.
The ink isn’t even dry on Ed Orgeron’s new contract as head coach at LSU, but that isn’t stopping Orgeron from making a major play at Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.
ESPN commentator/syndicated radio host Paul Finebaum sounded the alarm on Saturday morning from the steps of Reese Phifer Hall in Tuscaloosa, saying Orgeron covets the skills of the Tide’s third-year offensive coordinator.
Orgeron is expected to finalize a contract with LSU that will earn him $3 million a year. Kiffin is in a one-year contract that makes him $1.4 million a year at Alabama.
Orgeron was Kiffin’s defensive line coach at Tennessee and at Southern Cal before serving as the Trojans’ interim coach in 2013 – taking over when Kiffin was famously fired on the LAX tarmac.
Multiple news outlets Saturday morning confirmed that LSU will promote Orgeron to a full-time role after he went 5-2 as longtime coach Les Miles’ replacement.
The school has scheduled a news conference for 1 p.m. ET.
It had been a dramatic 48 hours as rumors swirled about LSU administrators targeting Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher and Houston’s Tom Herman over Orgeron. LSU finally went with Orgeron, who earned widespread support from the team and a wide swath of the fan base in his time as interim coach.
A source told ESPN’s Brett McMurphy that LSU decided to go with Orgeron because it “wasn’t going to be held hostage [while Herman negotiated with others]. … In the end, they chose the guy who wanted the job and not the guy who wanted the money.”
Orgeron’s first order of business must be to bring aboard a top-tier offensive coordinator who can develop a scheme that can consistently rival the defense’s standing as a national leader. Kiffin and Orgeron remain close after working together in previous locales, and Kiffin is sure to sit high on Orgeron’s list of candidates should he choose to leave Nick Saban’s program without a head coaching contract in hand.
LSU could use Kiffin’s guidance as an offensive playcaller and quarterback developer after struggling in both departments for the latter portion of Miles’ tenure. Even after Orgeron took over, those issues reared their ugly heads in losses to Alabama and Florida, where execution mishaps directly contributed to LSU losses.
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