For the first time in a long time, Ed Orgeron was able to remove the interim tag from his title following the 2016 season, as he replaced Les Miles permanently at LSU. Now we learn that he has a good agent as well.
The Advocate was able to get Orgeron’s contract details earlier this week, and there are quite a few surprises in there. First of all, Orgeron will make $3.5 million per year over the course of the five-year deal. That’s a lot of money compared to most coaches in the country, but it’s actually on the lower end of SEC salaries.
Of the 14 coaches in the SEC, the only three that will make less per year than Orgeron are Will Muschamp at South Carolina ($3 million), Derek Mason at Vanderbilt ($2.6 million) and Missouri’s Barry Odom ($2.35 million). Orgeron’s salary is the lowest of any coach in his division.
Where Orgeron makes up for that number, aside from the possible $1.5 million in incentives, is the contract buyout.
Orgeron’s buyout following the 2017 season is $12 million, and that number will drop to $8.5 million in 2018, $6 million in 2019 and $4.5 million in 2020. That’s some job security, and it’s a bit surprising.
I say that because it’s not like other schools were competing for Orgeron this winter, at least not schools on the level of LSU. I don’t think there was ever a point where Orgeron was thinking he wouldn’t take the gig if it was offered to him. Also, I don’t understand why LSU would feel the need to have that kind of insurance on Orgeron leaving on his own volition for another job in the future. He’s from Louisiana and basically has his dream job.
What’s he going to leave for?
