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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ed Orgeron Named Head Football Coach
12/16/2004 | Football
Dec. 16, 2004
OXFORD, Miss. - Ed Orgeron, regarded as one of college football's premier defensive line coaches, has been named the 35th head football coach in the history of The University of Mississippi. Orgeron is currently in his seventh season as the defensive line coach at the University of Southern California.
In 2001, he took on the added responsibility of recruiting coordinator for the Trojans, who play for the national championship against Oklahoma in the FedEx Orange Bowl on January 4, 2005. He was named assistant head coach in 2003. He joined the USC staff in January of 1998.
USC's 2002, 2003 and 2004 recruiting classes were ranked among the nation's top five (the 2003 and 2004 groups were listed by many as No. 1). He was named the 2004 National Recruiter of the Year by The Sporting News and Rivals.com.
In 2003, Orgeron guided USC's highly-regarded "Wild Bunch II" defensive line (ends Kenechi Udeze, Omar Nazel and Frostee Rucker and tackles Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson) as the Trojans led the nation in rushing defense. Udeze was a consensus All-American first teamer and a NFL first round pick, while Udeze, Cody and Patterson all earned All-Pac-10 first team honors (the most defensive line first teamers from any league school since Washington State also had three in 1994).
In 1998, Trojan defensive tackle Ennis Davis was named to the All-Pac-10 first team.
USC played in the 1998 Sun Bowl, 2001 Las Vegas Bowl, 2003 Orange Bowl and 2004 Rose Bowl.
Orgeron, 43, has 20 years of coaching experience. Prior to joining the USC staff in 1998, he was Syracuse's defensive line coach the previous three seasons (1995-97) and the Orangemen played in a bowl game each year (1996 Gator, 1996 Liberty and 1997 Fiesta).
He came to Syracuse from Nicholls (La.) State, where he was the linebackers coach in 1994.
Before that, he was the defensive line coach at Miami for four seasons (1989-92), where he coached eight All-Americans, including NFL first rounders Cortez Kennedy, Russell Maryland and Warren Sapp. In 1988, he was a graduate assistant at Miami, working with the defensive line. During his tenure, the Hurricanes won the national championship twice (1989 and 1991), finished second in the AP poll once (1988) and third twice (1990 and 1992) while appearing in five New Year's Day bowls (1989 Orange, 1990 Sugar, 1991 Cotton, 1992 Orange, 1993 Sugar).
Orgeron also was a graduate assistant at Northwestern (La.) State, his alma mater, in 1984 and McNeese (La.) State in 1985, working with the defensive line at both schools, then was an assistant strength coach at Arkansas for two years (1986-87). The Razorbacks were in the 1987 Orange Bowl and 1987 Liberty Bowl. He worked in private business in 1993.
He was a four-year starting defensive lineman at Northwestern (La.) State, captaining the Demons as a senior. He received his bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Northwestern State in 1984.
He starred in football, basketball and track at South Lafourche High in Galliano, La.
Born July 27, 1961, he and his wife, Kelly, have three sons, Tyler, 11, and 5-year-old twins Parker and Cody.
The Orgeron File
PERSONAL INFORMATION:BIRTHDAY: July 27, 1961
FAMILY: Wife, Kelly; Sons, Tyler, 11, Parker and Cody, 5 (twins)
HIGH SCHOOL: South Lafourche HS, Galliana, La.
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree, liberal arts, Northwestern State, 1984
PLAYING EXPERIENCE: South Lafourche HS, Galliana, La.;
Northwestern State, defensive lineman, 1980-83
COACHING EXPERIENCE:
YEAR TEAM POSITION BOWL
2004 USC Defensive Line/ Orange Recruiting Coordinator2003 USC Defensive Line/ Rose Recruiting Coordinator2002 USC Defensive Line/ Orange Bowl Recruiting Coordinator2001 USC Defensive Line/ Las Vegas Recruiting Coordinator2000 USC Defensive Line --1999 USC Defensive Line --1998 USC Defensive Line Sun1997 Syracuse Defensive Line Fiesta1996 Syracuse Defensive Line Liberty1995 Syracuse Defensive Line Gator1994 Nicholls State Linebackers --1992 Miami Defensive Line Sugar1991 Miami Defensive Line Orange1990 Miami Defensive Line Cotton1989 Miami Defensive Line Sugar1988 Miami Graduate Assistant Orange1987 Arkansas Assistant Strength Liberty1986 Arkansas Assistant Strength Orange1985 McNeese State Graduate Assistant --1984 Northwestern St. Graduate Assistant --