Suggestions for Q&A with Coach O

Published 6:38 am Sunday, May 7, 2017

Ed Orgeron is no stranger to Lake Charles, dating to his year as a McNeese State graduate assistant in 1985, which kind of got him into coaching.

But even since his life turned whirlwind hectic — first as LSU’s interim head coach, now with the extra modifier removed — he’s still been a fairly regular visitor, just to keep track of his two sons, Cody and Parker, on the McNeese football team.

But consider this Tuesday night as kind of his formal introduction to Lake Charles when the Tiger Tour hits town at the L’Auberge events center.

Orgeron, of course, will be the main event.

No word yet on who will be the back-back-Bayou-to-formal-Cajun-to-semi-English interpreter.

But not to worry.

Now, as a veteran of numerous Orgeron news conferences and a few less formal chats, I can tell you that you gradually get the hang of listening to him.

Get past the gravel in that Cajun staccato, in fact, and there’s a lot of common sense in there.

This isn’t like interpreting Les Miles, when the words were clear as a bell but, dang him, they just never quite seemed to fit right when grouped next to each other.

With Uncle Les, it was more like, “I know what he said. Now what was trying to say?”

Pig Latin was an easier riddle to crack.

But my guess is that Orgeron will make sense, particularly since he seems to be on the Mother of all Coaching Honeymoons in his home state.

But I do have a suggestion for the organizers: Let B?B? be B?B?.

This is the Southwest Louisiana LSU Alumni Association’s show. The ticket proceeds go the chapter’s scholarship program.

But the Tigers Athletic Foundation tends to set the agenda, and in more recent coaching visits they seemed less and less willing to leave anything to chance.

Maybe the TAF just didn’t trust Miles around a live microphone.

But the whole thing often came off as too scripted, with an LSU emcee lobbing softball Q&A for Miles to get tangled up in.

There are plenty of alums who could ask far better questions, and at $100 a pop for a ticket — some will be available at the door — at least deserve the chance to get in the queue.

Orgeron will make the meet-and-greet rounds when the doors open at 5:30 p.m. before the big show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

So hopefully, there will be audience participation, just to let Orgeron’s Cajun charisma shine through.

My guess is they turn him loose — and let the alums have the microphone occasionally.

Here’s some suggestions for your questions:

l Where does he stand on Nike atrocities? There have been some workable “alternative” LSU uniforms in recent years, but the less creative thinking that goes into the Tigers’ fashion, the better. Will he take a stand or be pushed around?

l Quarterback? It’s LSU, what else are you going to ask? How can it still be a “wide-open” race when the returning starter, Danny Etling, showed some promise last year? And the challengers have virtually no experience? Is it wishful thinking?

l How is Etling’s aching back, and how do you go through the entire spring practices needing back surgery the following week?

l What is “minor” back surgery anyway? Followup: Does such a thing exist? Another Bengal, Tiger Woods, would probably beg to differ.

l Is Orgeron comfortable with two rock-star coordinators, Dave Aranda on defense and now Matt Canada for this chronically stale offense? Well, of course he is. You want good coaches. But in this case it does mean that the coordinators figure to get more of the credit for whatever success Orgeron’s team have. Any failures will still land in the head coach’s lap. Is B?B? cool with that?

l Related question: Where does he stand on “meddling?” It was a charge often levied against Miles, particularly with the offense. Orgeron’s speciality is defense. Is he OK staying out of Aranda’s way?

l Is pass rusher Arden Key still on schedule to return to school and the team for summer school (and the fall)? He’s been on his own personal leave of absence since early in the spring semester. Orgeron has been insisting that Key is expected back when players report for summer school. But he’s the key to the whole defense this year. It never hurts to keep asking.

l How will special teams “by committee” work? They’ve been hit and miss in recent years, and one of the first things Orgeron did when he got the gig full-time was fire special teams coordinator Bradley Dale Peveto. But a “committee” has often been described as what you want to use if your idea of fun is to try to design a better horse and end up with a camel.

l

Scooter Hobbs covers LSU

athletics. Email him at

shobbs@americanpress.com