Mandeville Roots p Tiger Stripes photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
Ed “Coach O” Orgeron
THERE IS NO MISTAKING Ed Orgeron’s house. It’s the one with enough horsepower in the brigade of black SUVs and trucks in his driveway to haul away Tiger Stadium brick by brick. Of course, the now-infamous Hummer from his commercials as the head coach at Ole Miss still sits at the front of the line. Once inside, the wood floors lead into the open living room with a leather couch big enough to seat Orgeron’s entire LSU starting defensive line after a huge pot of gumbo.
During the summer, when the weather by Mike Gegenheimer cooperates, Orgeron can often be found enjoying the pool area in the backyard that his wife, Kelly, has spent years decorating—or more likely, watching the NFL network on his patio TV. The already quiet neighborhood is made even more so by the fact that Orgeron bought the two adjacent lots on either side of his property. He likes to joke it’s his “buffer zone,” a personal sign he’s Above: Ed and Kelly established roots here. >> Orgeron. September-October 2015 45