Ed Orgeron Won't Return as LSU Head Coach in 2022 After Separation Agreement

LSU and head football coach Ed Orgeron have reached a separation agreement, meaning Orgeron will not be back with the team in 2022.

This comes as no surprise as Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated previously reported Orgeron was expected to finish the 2021 season as LSU's head coach before moving on.

Dellenger noted Orgeron will receive a $16.9 million buyout:

Regarding the decision, a source told Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports: "It's one of those things where no one wanted to be there anymore. The players didn't want to play for him, the coaches didn't want to coach for him."

LSU upset the then-No. 20 Florida Gators 49-42 on Saturday, but Dellenger reported that the separation talks between LSU and Coach O began last week.

The Tigers are just 4-3 this season despite Saturday's win, and they are only 9-8 since the 2020 season after going 5-5 last year.

Still, Orgeron's tenure at LSU has come to a shocking and abrupt end considering what the team accomplished just two seasons ago.

With quarterback Joe Burrow leading the way, LSU went a perfect 15-0 in 2019 and beat Clemson 42-25 in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

That marked LSU's first national title since 2007 and put an exclamation point on one of the most impressive seasons in college football history.

LSU's stacked offense was comprised of Burrow, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson that season. All told, LSU scored 726 points, which is the most by any team in a single season in the FBS era.

Under the tutelage of Orgeron and passing game coordinator Joe Brady, Burrow threw a record 60 touchdown passes and won the Heisman Trophy by the widest margin ever.

LSU lost a lot of talent from the 2019 team entering 2020, though, as Burrow, Jefferson and Edwards-Helaire all entered the NFL draft, as did several key defensive players such as K'Lavon Chaisson, Patrick Queen, Grant Delpit and Kristian Fulton.

Also, Chase opted out of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and fellow star receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. opted out after seven games.

LSU showed some flashes of brilliance over the past two seasons, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, but the Tigers came nowhere close to matching what they did in 2019.

The 60-year-old Orgeron was born in Larose, Louisiana, and spent one season at LSU as a defensive lineman. He eventually found his way back to LSU in 2015 as the defensive line coach.

Orgeron took over as interim head coach in 2016 following the firing of Les Miles and earned the full-time gig.

In parts of six seasons as the head coach at LSU, Orgeron owns a 49-17 record with one national title to his credit.

Given that and the fact that he also has head coaching experience at Ole Miss and USC, Orgeron should be able to find another head coaching job at the collegiate level if he so chooses.