Head coach Ed Orgeron just couldn't say no.
LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward arrived at the point he and many Tigers fans already knew was coming. This football season is going to end in disaster. Sure, the Tigers just pulled off a big upset of Florida, little did we know it was in spite of Coach O not because of Coach O. That's wild to think about.
The midseason announcement that LSU and Coach O have agreed to mutually part ways is a concession that the season is not salvageable. Woodward is admitting the 2021 season is all but over. Coach O will remain as the coach until the end of the season. Orgeron went from interim head coach at LSU 5 years ago and will end that run, again, as the interim. Just, wow.
It's a rise and fall of epic proportions. Twenty one months ago Coach O led LSU to a perfect season culminating in a College Football Playoff win over Clemson. Less than 2 years later the program is back on the hunt for a new head football coach. Coach O went from the top dog in college football to a dog with his tail between his legs. How did we get here?
I can only guess as to what might have happened. Human nature could answer a lot. Success is hard to manage. Power is even harder. When we have success and we also get some air of invincibility to us. Your decision-making becomes clouded. Everyone tells you how much they love you and how great you are. You start to believe all your own hype. Your legend grows and so does your ego and power. You start to partake in things that come with success. You believe that you can do it again and again.
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Everyone wants a piece of a successful person. You get surrounded with opportunities that might not be in your best interest, you get pulled in so many different directions and it's hard to say no to those requests and demands. The bottom line is Coach O didn't have a person next to him to say "no" for him. When you are the top dog you have to be able to say no to certain things. Ed didn't want to be the bad guy and say no himself.
Pick your choice of long-term sustained successful people in the world. They all have a "no" person with them at all times. Someone to run interference. Coach O's demise is centered around the fact that too many were afraid to challenge him and not enough people to tell others no.
No matter what, he remains a title-winning Coach at the highest level. That fact can never be taken away.
My hope for Coach O now? That he's learned to say no.
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