Pros and cons of LSU's hire of Ed Orgeron

Ed Orgeron’s second head coaching job will come in his home state. Reports that LSU had reached a deal with its interim head coach stated popping up late Friday night and things are expected to be made official on Saturday afternoon.

Orgeron went 5-2 in his stint as the Tigers’ interim head coach and was 6-2 in the same role at USC in 2013. His only other stint as a permanent head coach came at Ole Miss and ended with 10-25 record. Below is a look at what there is to like about Orgeron in the LSU job and also why there is reason for hesitance.

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HE'S KNOWN AS A HEAVY-HITTER ON THE RECRUITING TRAIL

FOX's Bruce Feldman literally wrote a book about Ed Orgeron’s recruiting prowess and for good reason. There are few coaches in the country that can stand toe-to-toe with LSU’s new head coach on the recruiting trail. The reputation is earned and it permeates with his colleagues as well as with fans and prospects.

“Coach O is a dynamic leader and he’s also a great recruiter," USC head coach Clay Helton told Rivals.com in September. “He’s known as that. He was one of the best D-line coaches I’ve ever been around, as well as one of the top recruiters. What he does too, though, is he does a tremendous job of inspiring his men.”

Orgeron is, after all, the man that landed Rivals100 guard Viane Talamaivao despite carrying an interim tag at USC in 2013. Orgeron can sell a program, and selling LSU to football prospects isn’t exactly the hardest task on the planet.

HIS RECRUITING TIES ARE DEEP AND WIDE-RANGING

Orgeron has recruited the region in the past and he’s recruited it well. His time as a head coach at Ole Miss was a disaster. There’s no polishing that, but his recruiting pedigree can’t be disputed. Orgeron, who has worked at LSU, Miami, Arkansas, Ole Miss and for the New Orleans Saints, has deep ties to the state and the region at large. His face is a familiar at every big-time high school in the area. The fact that he also has connections on the west coast from his three years at USC won’t hurt him either.

Orgeron is essentially the recruiting mayor in the state of Louisiana and had ties in Texas as well. If he fails at LSU, it won’t be because he struggled to make inroads on the recruiting trail.

THE RESIDUAL OLE MISS STINK

Orgeron didn’t just struggle as Ole Miss’ head coach, he failed spectacularly. And while that’s firmly in the past and he has had success at each of his interim stops since, he still carries the weight of history. There’s a chance the new LSU head coach might find himself on a shorter leash because of his brief head coaching history. The LSU athletic department would deny such a suggestion but it’s natural to be on edge when it comes to a head coach that has never succeeded in the role.

Orgeron will need to get off to a hot start, if he’s to hold off the dogs foaming at the mouth to dismiss this as a lazy, uninspired hire.

THE SABAN FACTOR

Nick Saban probably isn’t terrified right now.

Saban is 4-0 against Orgeron. So while a strong LSU is one of the biggest threats to the Alabama dynasty, this probably isn’t the hire that derails the Tide. Orgeron will get players, but Alabama essentially recruits itself at this point and even an ace recruiter such as Orgeron isn’t going to win a ton of head-to-head battles with the Crimson Tide.

Orgeron’s best plan of action is to poach a few current Saban assistants, including offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, to help battle the Tide on the recruiting trail. The task he’s up against is tall and expectations are high. His staff is of vital importance as LSU may need to get creative recruiting-wise while Saban is still at Alabama. Recruiting the Midwest and the west coast to supplement the in-state talent might not be a bad move.