Orgeron grateful for chance to turn around LSU
BATON ROUGE, LA. — As much as Ed Orgeron might have preferred a different route to the top coaching job at Louisiana State University, the Louisiana native was never going to be able to hide his enthusiasm for his new opportunity — and didn’t try.
“It’s a great day in my life, I promise you that,” Orgeron said, calling it “a dream, obviously” to be the Tigers’ head coach. “It’s a well-respected position that I’m holding right now, and I hold it in high esteem. And I understand the expectations at LSU, and I fully, fully intend to meet all of those expectations.”
The 55-year-old Orgeron, formally introduced as Les Miles’ interim replacement Monday, said he has no idea whether he’ll have the job past this season and isn’t saying whether he sees his opportunity as an audition to remain for the longer term.
“Take the future aside. Whatever’s going to happen is going to happen. Let the chips fall where they may,” Orgeron said, adding that his sole focus was on his players’ success.
“All I want to do i s see t h e m w i n . I wa n t t h e m happy, and whatever happens after that is going to be fine.”
Orgeron said he’s tapped current assistant Steve Ensminger, a former LSU quarterback, to replace offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, who was fired Sunday along with Miles.
Orgeron noted that he also had elevated defensive coordinator Dave Aranda to associate head coach.
The decision to fire Miles, who was 114-34 in 11-plus seasons, stemmed largely from stagnation that has plagued the offense in big games in recent seasons, particularly because of an anemic passing game.
Orgeron said the offense will be “tweaked” to feature more spread formations. He did not say whether he’d reopen the starting quarterback job, which has been held by Brandin Harris and Danny Etling this season. But he did say, “I’m still a pro-style guy,” which could lend itself more to the pocket-passing skills of Etling.
Nebraska player’s protest criticized: A Nebraska football player who took a knee during the national anthem before Saturday night’s game at Northwestern said Monday that he and his family have received racially charged criticism on social media and said the responses show why the protest is necessary.
Senior linebacker Michael Rose-Ivey read an impassioned st atement during the Cornhuskers’ weekly media availabilit y. Freshmen Mohamed Barry and DaiShon Neal joined RoseIvey on one knee in protest of racial injustice and police brutality.
Former high school classmates, friends, peers and some Huskers fans swiftly criticized the group on Facebook and Twitter, Rose-Ivey said.
“Some believe DaiShon, Mohamed and myself should be kicked off the team or suspended, while some said we deserved to be lynched or shot just like the other black people who have died recently,” he said.
Tidemayturntofreshman backs: Alabama’s running game has continued to roll along with considerable help from a running quarterback and a couple of freshmen backs.
If starting tailback Damien Harris can’t return from a sprained right ankle, freshmen Joshua Jacobs and B.J. Emmons could play even bigger roles for the top-ranked Crimson Tide on Saturday night against Kentucky.
Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday that Harr i s remains “day to day” after going down on the opening series against Kent State.