Everyone knows LSU head coach Ed Orgeron's voice. It's as recognizable in Louisiana as Patrick Mahomes' is in Missouri or Nick Saban's is in Alabama. It's the reason the USC Trojans passed on him as their head coach (and clearly missed out on a national championship).
There's nothing quite like those two simple words that Coach O utters probably 100 times a day: "Go Tigers!" His ability to hype up LSU football's fan base by dunking on Alabama via his "Roll Tide What? F— You" postgame speech was one of the greatest things we've ever heard.
LSU's Ed Orgeron's beloved and unique voice's path to Baton Rouge was an interesting one. He worked as an assistant coach at programs like Arkansas, Miami and USC before earning the head coaching position at Ole Miss. He went back to Los Angeles to work at USC, where he briefly served as interim head coach in 2013, before landing with the LSU Tigers and taking over for Les Miles in 2016.
The LSU coach plucked Joe Burrow from Ohio State and brought him to the Bayou, where the two won a national championship and so much more in 2019. Burrow and Orgeron even shared an awesome, tear-jerking moment during his Heisman Trophy speech.
That being said, it's a wonder that we've never heard Burrow's impression of Coach O's voice. Well, the wait is over.
Joe Burrow's Ed Orgeron Impression
Former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was accepting the Davey O'Brien award given to the top quarterback in NCAA football at the Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday. KXAS sports reporter Paul Jones asked Burrow for his best Coach O impression.
I gotta say, it's spot on.
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Maybe Burrow should be saying "thank you" to his head football coach. Burrow became the first overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL Draft after setting the collegiate single-season touchdown record last season.
Orgeron should also be thankful for Burrow leading the Tigers to an undefeated season, including an SEC Championship Game victory and dismantling Clemson in the College Football Playoff Championship Game for LSU's first national title since 2007.
Other Ed Orgeron Impressions
Everyone has a Coach O impression. Whether you're a fan, player, coach or just a casual football fan, you've probably tried matching that iconic raspy voice. Here are some of the best of them.
LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire kept it short and sweet:
Former LSU DT Christian LaCouture and ESPN's Rece Davis copied Coach O's voice and tried his face out as well:
Impression expert Joey Mulinaro, who hilariously sounds more like Ed Orgeron and Nick Saban than the actual coaches do:
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has gotten in on the craze:
Former LSU OL Garrett Brumfield, who opted for the "Hold that Tiger!" chant:
ESPN college football football sideline reporter Allison Williams, who maybe went a little overboard with her impression during LSU-BYU in 2017:
Why Does Coach Ed Orgeron Sound Like That?
Orgeron is of Cajun descent. He was born in Larose, Louisiana, and played football for South Lafourche High School in Galliano, Louisiana, where he played with one-time New Orleans Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert. Orgeron was a good football player himself, signing to play for LSU but transferring to Northwestern State University after a year.
Orgeron's voice sounds the way it does likely because of his Cajun background. He was a heavy drinker at one point, which includes stories like the one of him being arrested for head-butting a bar manager in 1992 and eventually resigning as Miami's defensive line coach. However, it's unclear if that had any effect on his voice.
This post was originally published on February 19, 2020.
