Tigers United

ED ORGERON

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

LSU RECORD: 45-14 2019 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 2019 SEC CHAMPIONS 2019 NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR

When it comes to building a championship football program, there’s none better than LSU head coach Ed Orgeron. A driven leader with a vision on how to achieve success, Orgeron needed only three years to fulfill a pledge he made at his introductory press conference on Nov. 26, 2016 when he vowed to “build a championship program at LSU.”

Orgeron did just that in 2019, leading LSU to the most dominant season in college football history, guiding the Tigers to a 15-0 mark and the CFP National Championship. But Orgeron’s definition of a championship program goes much farther than winning championships on the football field. It’s also about developing young men, on and off the field; it’s about fielding a team of highcharacter players who are determined to compete at the highest level on the field, while pursuing an education off the field; it’s about players focused on the success of the team, not individual awards; it’s about players doing the right thing, all the time. It’s known as the LSU Standard of Performance, not just on Saturday nights during the fall, but year-round.

And with that mentality, which starts at the top with Orgeron – a coach who never takes credit for his team’s success, but instead praises his staff and his players –LSU stormed its way to the 2019 national title, winning 12 of 15 games by double-figures and beating seven Top 10 opponents along the way.

Since taking over the Tigers midway four games into the 2016 season, Orgeron has guided LSU to a 45-14 mark. He’s also led the Tigers to five postseason victories – one in the SEC Championship Game, two bowl games and two in the College Football Playoffs.

Last year, Orgeron and the Tigers found a way to still have success despite losing their starting quarterback for the year just three games into the season. Behind the play of true freshman quarterback Max Johnson, LSU capped 2020 on a high note, beating No. 7 Florida in Gainesville and wrapping up the year with a win over Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium to finish with a 5-5 overall mark.

Under Orgeron, the Tiger program has produced 12 first team All-Americas, four national award winners, including the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Joe Burrow, and 39 NFL Draft picks, which includes 10 in the first round. In the 2020 NFL Draft, LSU set an SEC record with five first round picks and tied the all-time mark with 14 players selected during the seven-round event. LSU followed that with seven more draft picks in 2021 giving the Tigers 21 NFL Draft picks over a two-year span, the most ever for any college football program.

When it comes to recruiting, there’s none better than Orgeron and his staff who continue to assemble the best roster in college football with a focus that includes keeping the best players in Louisiana at home, while also attracting the top talent from coast to coast.

Now entering its fifth full season under Orgeron, LSU has used the “One Team, One Heartbeat” philosophy along with the ability to “block out the noise” to become one of the premier programs in college football.

TIGERS UNITED

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

The goal of the LSU Athletics diversity and inclusion initiative is to form a clear vision of results-oriented change and make needed connections in the department, the campus and the community. Four new organizations have been formed within Athletics to develop strategies that will enhance the understanding of racial equality:

Leadership Counci Staff and Coaches Council Student-Athlete Council Black Student-Athlete Association

Each of these groups is working to help us create an equitable and transformational athletics program. We will measure and track the results of all efforts toward a more inclusive and diverse environment. This web page contains educational resources, web site links and videos that provide more information about our mission. We will maintain a consistent communications presence to inform, educate and inspire everyone to be allies in this critical movement.

For stories, videos, councils, events, resources and a list of milestones and more go online to: LSUsports.net/diversity