Ed Orgeron says he heard Northwestern rumors while on Northwestern State campus

After Northwestern fired longtime football coach Pat Fitzgerald on Monday, rumors spread that former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron was interested in the job. Those rumors were quickly exposed as fake, and Orgeron was just as confused by the ordeal as the rest of us.

While Orgeron was nowhere near Northwestern when he heard the outlandish news, he was at his alma mater, Northwestern State, a public school in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Orgeron was in town for a friend’s funeral and reportedly on a jog through campus when he caught wind of the rumor.

Orgeron comments on the odd situation

“I started getting all these messages,” Orgeron told Sheldon Mickles of The Advocate.. “… Man, I don’t know where they get this stuff.”

LSU and Orgeron agreed to part ways in 2021, just two years after the 61-year-old former coach led the Tigers to a national title. LSU didn’t get Orgeron out of the driver’s seat without a hefty price. Orgeron was granted a $17.1 million buyout.

Orgeron boasts a 67-47 all-time record as head coach. Before his stint at LSU, Orgeron also led programs such as Ole Miss and USC. In his playing days, Orgeron played one season at LSU before transferring to Northwestern State to finish his career.

Despite his success in the football world, Orgeron isn’t in a hurry to return to the gridiron.

“In refuting the report, Orgeron said he’s happily retired and enjoys being a dad to his three sons — all of whom are coaching on the collegiate level,” wrote Mickens. 

“He made sure to note that he can do whatever he wants when he wants to, and he thoroughly loves his current situation after agreeing to a $16.9 million settlement with LSU when the school parted ways with him. Orgeron said he jogs 4.2 miles every day and enjoys working out.”

More on Pat Fitzgerald

Sorry, Northwestern fans. The search continues. Fitzgerald was fired after Hazing allegations swept through Evanston, initially resulting in a two-week suspension. Nonetheless, that punishment was swiftly increased after university president Michael Schill changed his mind.

Fitzgerald released a statement regarding his release on Monday.

“I had the privilege of serving as the Head Football Coach at Northwestern University for the past 17 years,” Fitzgerald said via ESPN’s Pete Thamel. “As a former Wildcat player who played a part in a remarkable transformation of our program, it was a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to lead the team. I take great pride in the achievements we accomplished during my tenure both on and off the field.”

On3’s Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this article.