Did Coach O finally say what everyone was thinking about the SEC paying players before the NIL era?
That’s always been the assumption, and it was even the inspiration for the joke that Shane Gillis directed at the legendary Nick Saban that made the former Alabama coach get incredibly defensive on College GameDay (remember that?). How else were the SEC schools getting all of the good players across the country before NIL created an avenue to pay players legally?
Coach Ed Orgeron, who last coached at LSU and has since taken some time off from football (making the most of his multi-million dollar buyout), has recently voiced his openness to returning to the college game. He’s waiting for the right fit to open up, but all signs are pointing towards Coach O getting back into the coaching business.
That’s led him to make some more media appearances as of late, with the most recent example being the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. The former coach went on the show to talk about his career, and what could be in store for him in the future. He also clarified if there’s any legs to the rumor of him returning to LSU to help Lane Kiffin (more on that in a bit).
But the one big moment in the interview came when show host Taylor Lewan asked Coach O if he could disclose or delve into the “SEC paid its players back in the day” rumor. Here’s how Ed Orgeron responded to that question:
“You know what? It’s all good. (I’ve been asked), ‘Hey coach, you’ve been out of coaching for a while. How are you going to adjust to NIL?’ I say, ‘Well, it’s a minor adjustment.’ They say, ‘What do you mean?’ I say, ‘Back then, we used to walk through the back door with the cash. Now we just gotta walk through the front door with the cash.'”
Oh?
There for a moment, it certainly seemed like Coach O was delivering quite the revelation. A former SEC coach saying that would make waves across the college athletic world, even if news like that would be a couple of years behind from actually mattering.
But just as he wrapped up that answer, Coach O threw this clarification in there:
“Hey, a joke, obviously.”
Sure Coach O… sure.
@bussinwtb According to Coach O, NIL just means the bag man uses the front door now instead of the back 😂😂😂 #BWTB #SEC #NIL #collegefootball #B1G ♬ original sound – bussinwtb
I’m really not sure what to believe. Something tells me that Coach O was telling the truth, and then just made it seem like a lie by throwing “it’s a joke” out there.
Though he didn’t confirm that piece of SEC lore, Ed Orgeron did detail his communication with Lane Kiffin, and whether or not he had been contacted to return to LSU on the former Ole Miss coach’s staff. Coach O had previously voiced that he would be open to returning in an assistant role, and some reports were linking Orgeron to LSU before Kiffin even officially took the job.
However, it sounds like a LSU-Coach O reunion would be a long shot at this point:
“Here’s what happened. He actually called last year. He was gonna get a job and he wanted to know if I wanted to go. I said, ‘I’m not ready to do that.’ But then he called (during his decision), and said, ‘What do you think about LSU?’ and I gave LSU great reviews. He never called me and said, ‘Do you want to come?’ I never called him and said, ‘I want to go.’
He knew I was planning on going back into coaching. Would LSU have been a good fit with him? Do I think so? Yes. But as a head coach, when you go into a situation, like that, you gotta feel out the lay of the land. And you’ve got to do what’s best for you. He’s got his defensive staff, which is good. He hasn’t called me, and I wish him the best of luck.”
Bummer.
I was hoping to once again live in a world where Ed Orgeron stomped up and down the sidelines at LSU saying “Go Tigers” in his patented Bayou accent. It doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen, and Coach O also put the “SEC paid its players” rumors to rest… or did he?
You’ll have to see what you think by watching the interview:
Bussin’ With The Boys Episode 358: Ed Orgeron
