With Major Defensive Decisions to be Made, LSU's Ed Orgeron Faces a Difficult Uphill Climb

The news came at LSU fans like a welcomed tidal wave on Monday evening when it was reported by multiple media outlets, including Sports Illustrated, that the program would be parting ways with Bo Pelini as defensive coordinator.

In addition to Pelini, safeties coach Bill Busch will not be retained while defensive line coach Bill Johnson will retire after a successful career that included a Super Bowl win with the New Orleans Saints and a national championship at LSU. That will leave cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond as the lone survivor to the defensive coaching staff and give coach Ed Orgeron plenty of important decisions to make over the coming weeks.

There was a case to be made to officially sever ties with Pelini until after January as it would save the athletic department some extra money to potentially throw at a few replacements. The Advocate is reporting that the athletic department has capped the funds on what Orgeron can afford to buyout his coaching staff.

The two sides agreed to a one time payment which should help with any potential future hire as it gives a little leniency to a he finances LSU has to work with.

“I am grateful to call Coach O a friend and I am thankful for the opportunity to come back to LSU, but I have decided to move on in my coaching career,” Pelini said. “I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Coach O, the staff, the players and the entire LSU community. I will be pulling for the Tigers wherever my next stop may be.”

There was no mention of any potential limits on funding to replenish the coaching staff which is now quite baron. In the same breath, the athletic department has lost a reported $80 million this year in revenue so whatever decisions Orgeron makes with his staff will need to be carefully constructed and work in cohesion with Scott Woodward and the athletic department.

Considering that the safety and defensive line position coaches need to be replaced as well, that could further strain the Tigers' coach in building up the coaching staff. Johnson was set to make $557,000 in 2021 while Busch, who was key ion recruiting Joe Burrow to the Tigers, was set to make $457,000 for the 2021 season.

It's hard to imagine the next position coaches not making something similar which means most any potential reduction in salary will likely have to come out of the defensive coordinator's end, whoever Orgeron ultimately hires.

This marks likely the most crucial hires of the Orgeron era as whiffing on another coordinator hire of this magnitude would likely stunt the progress Orgeron has tried to make within the program. The fact that he'll have to make the hire with a financial limit could wind up limiting the potential candidates for the position.

As for the safety and defensive line position groups, LSU has spent the last two offseasons replenishing both groups and finding the right fits is of vital importance. The program brought in Jaquelin Roy, BJ Ojulari, Jacobian Guillory and most recently Maason Smith, Landon Jackson and Bryce Langston to anchor the front lines of defense.

At safety, Sage Ryan, Derrick Davis and Matthew Langlois join a room currently occupied by Jordan Toles and Maurice Hampton. These are two young units that have some interesting options already on staff, including graduate assistant Christian LaCouture, who was integral in keeping Smith in-state.

Orgeron has talked about LaCouture's dedication and work ethic and just how vital he wads in Smith's recruitment.

"I tell you what, Christian LaCouture, who I love and wore No. 18, was the major recruiter in this,” Orgeron said. “He did a tremendous job. He talked to Maason Smith more than his girlfriend. He was on the phone with Maason about 15 times a day. He was down at Terrebonne as many times as he could be. He created a great relationship with those guys."

Orgeron could go the promotion route within the program as cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond is extremely well respected by the players. But as is the case with any coaching decision Orgeron makes from here on out, it'll be examined with a microscope and dissected.

It's what comes with the territory of being the head coach at LSU.