Ed Orgeron will earn $100,000 on an 8-month contract as LSU's special assistant to defense and recruiting, according to contract details released by LSU on Thursday.
Orgeron, LSU's national championship-winning head coach, was announced as part of Lane Kiffin's staff on Wednesday night. Paid an astronomical-at-the-time $17 million buyout upon his firing, Orgeron has not coached full-time since concluding a 51-20 run that began during the middle of the 2016 season and concluded at the end of the '21 campaign.
The contract officially begins Thursday, concludes Jan. 31, 2027, and dictates that Orgeron reports to general manager Billy Glasscock, not head coach Lane Kiffin. The deal is fully guaranteed if Oregeron is somehow fired without cause but, amusingly, includes a duty to mitigate on Orgeron's end if he is somehow let go. Likewise, Orgeron would owe the balance of his remaining contract unless: 1) he leaves to become a head coach or play-calling coordinator at the college or NFL level, 2) if Orgeron leaves following the conclusion of LSU's regular season, or 3) if Kiffin is no longer employed as LSU's head coach.
Orgeron will not participate in any bonuses for LSU's on- or off-field performance, but he is provided with a courtesy vehicle or a monthly vehicle allowance.
Additionally, LSU has previously published the contract for select senior, off-field staff members in addition to the on-field coaching staff. Other than Orgeron, the salary disclosures have been limited to senior members of the recruiting and personnel department, plus head strength coach Nick Savage, senior executive director of operations Thad Rivers, and chief strategy officer Taylor Jacobs. Overall, more than 75 individuals are listed on LSU's football staff page.
LSU Senior Support Staff Salaries, 2026
Billy Glasscock, general manager -- $1 million
Nick Savage, head strength and conditioning coach -- $800,000
Dwike Wilson, senior executive director of recruiting and personnel -- $275,000
Dr. Thaddeus Rivers, senior executive director of operations -- $300,000
Mike Williams, senior executive director of player personnel -- $265,000
Adam Clark, assistant GM/internal operations -- $250,000
JR Belton, assistant GM/external operations -- $200,000
Taylor Jacobs, chief strategy officer -- $200,000
Unlike Orgeron, Kiffin's senior staff are all on multi-year contracts. Each staff member's deal is set to expire Jan. 31, 2028 except Glasscock's, whose expires Jan. 31, 2029. Belton will see a raise to $250,000 in 2027, Rivers's salary will grow to $325,000, Williams and Wilson will bump to $300,000, and Jacobs will increase to $225,000.