| At the end of the 2021 season, Ed Orgeron will no longer be LSU's coach. Less than two years after winning the national championship, Orgeron and LSU signed a separation agreement Sunday that will terminate his contract "without cause" and pay him his full $16.9 million buyout. Orgeron will lead the team through the end of the year, then sometime after the final game, a new coach will take over the program for the fourth time in the last two decades. It was unprecedented for a school to part ways with its coach 21 months since winning a title, but the Tigers are 9-8 over the last two seasons. Negotiations began before LSU upset No. 20 Florida this weekend. “We expect to compete for SEC and national championships year in and year out,” athletic director Scott Woodward said. “We are proud of that standard, and we will always work to uphold it. Our last two seasons have simply not met that standard.” Orgeron understood. “I know the last two years hasn’t been the standard at LSU,” Orgeron said. “So when he came and talked to me after the Kentucky game, I knew that it was time.” During his five-year tenure, Orgeron had extreme highs and lows. He led LSU to an undefeated season in 2019, and he beat 13 Top 10 teams, the second-most of any coach in school history. But the last two seasons have been marked by failed assistant hires, unrest and controversy as the on-field product slipped. The Tigers went 5-5 in 2020 for their worst season in two decades, and they hadn't shown any signs of improvement this year. As columnist Scott Rabalais wrote, "LSU got it all with Orgeron: the pride and the punch lines, the elation and embarrassment, the sound and the fury. Like a great artist, LSU ultimately had to suffer for its masterpiece season of 2019." Now comes the chase for LSU's next coach. Woodward, who declined to discuss the search Sunday night, has a reputation for hiring big names with a track record of championships. Will that be possible? Rabalais broke down 10 potential candidates, from Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher to Michigan State coach Mel Tucker. LSU has another five games and possibly a bowl appearance on the schedule, but after this, let flight-tracking season begin. We'll have you covered throughout the search, so follow along for the ride, and thank you as always for reading our work. Until next time, The LSU beat team | 
