Call it a twist on a twist in a collage football saga already full of them.
LSU is open to bringing former coach Ed Orgeron back to the program — as part of Lane Kiffin’s theoretical staff, according to CBS Sports.
The street can be considered two-way.
LSU coach Ed Orgeron smiles following an LSU touchdown against Mississippi during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019. AP
“Are you kidding me? I’m one phone call away,” Orgeron, who led the Tigers to the 2019 national championship but hasn’t coached since his 2021 firing by the school, said in a radio interview last month.
“I just gotta get in my truck, I could be there today.”
The move, of course, hinges on a lot of things.
Kiffin, for one, remains the head coach at Ole Miss, leading the 10-1 Rebels to the No. 6 spot in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
That hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from connecting Kiffin to Baton Rouge — as well as Gainesville, where Florida is also reportedly trying to lure him to — even as he tries to sidestep the growing number of headlines.
“I’m gonna stay on what I’ve done for six years, which isn’t talking about other jobs and that situation,” Kiffin said on Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference that got feisty over repeated inquiries over his Mississippi future.
Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin stands on the sideline during the first quarter against the Florida Gators. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
“Do you know something I don’t know?” he asked one reporter. “Do I expect to coach next week? Why would I not expect to coach next week? I mean, I expected to coach against Florida, too. So I don’t even understand the question of how I would not expect to coach next week? ‘Why would I be at work?’”
The entire college football world has its eyes on Kiffin, with Orgeron possibly having one on LSU, too.
“I love LSU,” he said in October. “I still got my home in Baton Rouge. I loved when I coached with coach [Les] Miles being the defensive line coach. I love the Tigers. And I’m getting back to coaching. For sure I’d consider it. No doubt.”
Kiffin is reportedly meeting with Ole Miss brass Friday, though how much clarity that sheds for anyone remains to be seen.