Coach Ed Orgeron Talks About Staff Turnover, Bringing Former LSU Football Players on Board

Once a Tiger, always a Tiger. That was the sentiment LSU coach Ed Orgeron passed on when asked about bringing former Tigers on board for the 2020 season.

For Orgeron, it's always been about building the LSU standard of performance. In his eyes, that standard of performance is found in every great player that's walked through the tunnel and slapped the “Win” bar in Death Valley.

In the last month alone, Orgeron has promoted Kevin Faulk to running backs coach, hired former linebacker Kelvin Sheppard as the team's director of player development and this week, brought in defensive end Bennie Logan as a defensive analyst.

"Major, major hire for the LSU Tigers," Orgeron said of Logan. "One of the all time greats coming back. I lean on Bennie for technique, he knows it well and at the meetings me and him talk about it like he's a full time coach with us. He'll be a good mentor to these young men and that's what he came for."

Orgeron has hired two defensive analysts, Logan and Younstown State defensive coordinator Donald D'Alesio since losing four on the defensive side of the ball in the aftermath of the 2019 season. Orgeron said Wednesday he doesn't have a designated number of analysts he'd like to have on board next season but he'd like it to be around the same number as last year, which was 10.

"I need to see, I'd like to have the same number we had last year, maybe more," Orgeron said. "Every staff's different so I think you fill holes when you need them. I think we've done a good job and I'm really excited about the guys we have."

Aside from the former Tigers turned coaches, the current players are already taking a liking to new defensive coordinator Bo Pelini and passing game coordinator Scott Linehan.

"The players love them, Scott Linehan is an old pro, very likeable, guys like him," Orgeron said. "Obviously with Bo and his demeanor, his temper, he's a lot like I am and he's going to get after it but he's also going to love them. I think, more or less, I sit in the defensive meetings and I see him capturing the team more and more everyday."

The appeal to bringing in former players to the LSU staff is a no-brainer for Orgeron, who grew up bleeding purple and gold. Not only from a talent standpoint but an experience one as well, former players provide a unique perspective to current athletes that are trying to find their way in college.

"These guys, they've bled purple and gold so they understand," Orgeron said. "I think they're invested, they want to represent LSU. The guys that come back are very motivated, they understand this place, they understand me and understand the expectations."