Coaching uncertainty abounding in the SEC
It’s a wacky week in Southeastern Conference football coaching when LSU’s Ed Orgeron is the model of stability.
Two Thanksgivings ago, Orgeron was LSU’s defensive line coach and entered the regular-season finale against Texas A&M not knowing whether his boss, Les Miles, would be retained. The Tigers defeated the Aggies 19-7 and Miles persevered, but he was fired four games into the 2016 season.
Orgeron took over the Tigers on an interim basis and entered last Thanksgiving not knowing whether he would get the full-time position. Two days after winning 54-39 at Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night, Orgeron landed his dream job.
“It’s college football and how volatile this business is,” Orgeron said Wednesday. “This is a tremendous opportunity I have to be the head coach at LSU. The expectations are high and I know that, and we expect the same of ourselves. I’ve been in college football for more than 30 years, and that was a very emotional night (two years ago). I remember walking down the Tiger Walk with Coach Miles, and I just remember how he handled himself all week as a champion and never
mentioned his job or anything.
“The focus was to win the game, and that helped me last year when we went to Texas A&M. We blocked out the noise, because there was a lot of stuff going on out there.”
There is a lot going on now in SEC coaching circles, with the league currently including three interim head coaches — Tennessee’s Brady Hoke, Florida’s Randy Shannon and Matt Luke of Ole Miss — for the first time in its 85-year history. The Houston Chronicle has reported that Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin is out after six seasons regardless of Saturday’s outcome against Orgeron’s Tigers, and Bret Bielema may not be long for his Arkansas job following the recent removal of Razorbacks athletic director Jeff Long.
Bielema’s final game could occur Friday against visiting Missouri.
“I know what the future holds tomorrow when I get up and get ourselves ready for Friday’s game,” Bielema said. “Friday’s game will play out, and Saturday I plan on going recruiting, which is what I’ve been told to do. I’m planning to build a team as best we can for the future, and nothing has varied from that.
“If something changes, that’s obviously going to be new information, and we’ll process that at the time. I know the outside world has voices, but that’s all they are. I realize and our players realize that we haven’t won all the games we want to, but we haven’t exactly lost to skid row, either.”
Should Bielema indeed be out, there has been speculation that the Razorbacks could go after Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, which could result in six SEC changes at the top. The last time the SEC had six new coaches was 1946, when Kentucky hired Paul “Bear” Bryant and Robert Neyland returned for his third successful stint at Tennessee.
Wednesday marked the final weekly SEC conference call of the 2017 season, which made for multiple farewells.
“In coaching, you have to expect that you’re going to change jobs,” Shannon said. “It’s a part of the business, and it’s a part that you understand. You just make sure you do your job and don’t worry about the things you can’t control. The best job I have is the one I have now, and whatever happens after that, I’ll focus on that when it happens.”
Said Luke: “It’s been a great experience that I’ve really, really enjoyed. I’ve enjoyed getting to know everybody, and the motivational part — those are the things that I’m good at and enjoy.”
Pasquali’s Pix:
Ole Miss at Mississippi State: There are unconfirmed reports the NCAA is equipping Bulldogs players tonight with wiretaps. Bulldogs 31, Rebels 26.
Missouri at Arkansas: SEC football is definitely more fun with Bielema in it, though that 11-28 league record is brutal. Tigers 34, Razorbacks 21.
Georgia at Georgia Tech: The Bulldogs will have played a bunch of away games this season — Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Florida and now Tech — before not-so-hostile crowds.
Bulldogs 30, Yellow Jackets 13.
Ohio State at Michigan: It’s always a treat when two of college football’s most radiant coaches get together. Buckeyes 17, Wolverines 10.
Florida State at Florida: These two teams are a combined 8-12, yet had they played on Labor Day weekend, it would have been No. 3 (Florida State) vs. No. 17 (Florida). Seminoles 20, Gators 13.
Alabama at Auburn: The Tigers must improve drastically on offense from the past two Iron Bowls, which have consisted of six Daniel Carlson field goals and a 77-yard tipped touchdown pass. Crimson Tide 27, Tigers 19.
Vanderbilt at Tennessee: There have been two matchups ever of SEC teams with 0-7 league records, and the Volunteers will have been involved in both of them. Vols 24, Commodores 20.
Texas A&M at LSU: It appears as if the Texas A&M brass has decided to no longer tolerate 8-5 seasons. Tigers 28, Aggies 21.
Last week: Winners …………… ..23 Crotch grabs ………… 2
Pasquali is now 241-59 overall (80.3 percent) this season.