LSU head coach Ed Orgeron arrives for an NCAA college football game against Florida in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
LSU and Coach Ed Orgeron have agreed to part ways after this season, 21 months after he led the Tigers to a national championship with what is considered one of the greatest teams in college football history.
“We have very high standards for all of our sports programs at LSU, and we will stand proudly behind our expectations of competing for SEC and national championships year in and year out,” Athletic Director Scott Woodward said Sunday night. “Our last two seasons have simply not met that standard, and based on our on-field results and our evaluation of the potential for future immediate success, it is time for a new direction.”
Sports Illustrated was first to report that Orgeron would not return to LSU in 2022 but is expected to coach the rest of the season for the Tigers.
While the timing of the announcement – the day after the Tigers (4-3) upset Florida – came as a surprise, the end for Orgeron seemed to be approaching after a blowout loss to Kentucky last week.
The win over Florida at home on Saturday made LSU 9-8 since beating Clemson in New Orleans for the national championship on Jan. 13, 2020.
“I have loved LSU since I first touched a football in Lafourche Parish in the late 1960s,” Orgeron, who grew up in Larose, Louisiana, said in a written statement posted by LSU. “I loved them every step of my professional journey – even from far away – as my career took me across America.
“I always understood the expectations at LSU, and they are the same expectations I have for myself and our staff,” Orgeron’s statement said. “I am disappointed that we have not met these expectations over the past two years.”
Orgeron is 49-17 with the Tigers in six seasons, including 15-0 in 2019 when Joe Burrow won a Heisman Trophy and LSU earned its third national championship in 17 seasons – with three different coaches.
Orgeron received a six-year contract extension after the 2019 season. According to USA Today, he is scheduled to make $9 million this season, the second-highest salary in major college football behind Alabama’s Nick Saban.
His buyout, according to USA Today, was more than $17 million if he was let go before Dec. 1.
AP TOP 25: Cincinnati moved up to No. 2 behind Georgia, the first time a team from outside the traditional power conferences has been ranked that high since 2010.
Georgia remained a unanimous No. 1 with 63 first-place votes and the Bearcats inched up a spot, taking advantage of Iowa’s loss to Purdue on Saturday.
The Hawkeyes dropped nine places to No. 11 and the Boilermakers moved into the rankings at No. 25, snapping the longest current AP poll drought for a Power Five school. The Boilermakers were last ranked in 2007.
Oklahoma is No. 3, followed by Alabama and Ohio State.
Unbeaten Cincinnati from the American Athletic Conference reached a new best ranking in program history and is the first team to reach No. 2 from outside a Power Five or BCS conference since TCU finished second in 2010, when it went undefeated as a member of the Mountain West.
Boise State, then a member of the Western Athletic Conference, spent three weeks at No. 2 in 2010.
Oklahoma State moved up to No. 8 after beating Texas and is in the top 10 for the first time since early in the 2020 season.
FIELD HOCKEY
MAINE 4, BRYANT 0: The Black Bears (10-6) scored in each quarter and shut out the Bulldogs (0-14) in Orono.
Maine took the lead just 1:38 into the game on a goal by Chloe Walton. Julia Ross, Brittany Smith and Poppy Lambert added a goal apiece.
WESLEYAN 3, COLBY 2: Diana Schwarz scored the go-ahead goal early in the fourth quarter as the Cardinals (6-7, 2-6 NESCAC) defeated the Mules (5-6, 1-6) in Waterville.
Colby’s Megan Rittenhouse opened the scoring in the first quarter. Sally Cassidy tied it early in the third after Wesleyan took a 2-1 lead into halftime.
TRINITY 3, UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND 0: Caelin Flaherty scored twice in the third quarter to lead the Bantams (10-3) past the Nor’easters (9-5) in Hartford, Connecticut.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
MAINE 0, BINGHAMTON 0: Kira Kutzinski made six saves for the Black Bears (3-6-3, 1-5-1 America East) as they played to a scoreless draw against the Bearcats (8-5-3, 4-1-2) in Vestal, New York.
WESLEYAN 5, COLBY 0: Ally Stanton scored two goals and set up another as the Cardinals (9-1, 7-1 NESCAC) defeated the Mules in Waterville.
MEN’S SOCCER
WESLEYAN 2, COLBY 0: Nick Wallick snapped a scoreless tie 13 minutes into the second half, then set up an insurance goal by Chris Porte as the Cardinals (7-2-2, 3-2-2 NESCAC) beat the Mules (6-6-1, 3-4-1) in Waterville.
Colby’s Ethan Franco converted a penalty kick with 13 seconds remaining.
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