Ed Orgeron reveals what he learned coaching under Jimmy Johnson

Ed Orgeron had a unique experience learning under Jimmy Johnson with the Miami Hurricanes. Orgeron was there from 1988-92 as a GA and defensive line coach, very early in his career.

In addition to cracking some jokes about Johnson, he noted how respected and feared he was around the locker room and building. But, it led to a lot of success, because Johnson could get the most out of his players.

Those are some lessons Orgeron learned from Johnson in his own coaching career. He even told a story about Johnson jogging with his shirt off, which Orgeron did at LSU to viral fame. 

“Coach Johnson. I was a GA. I learned from Coach Johnson,” Orgeron said on Bussin’ With The Boys. “I used to on Thursday night, he used to talk to the team by himself, I used to sneak in. He didn’t know I was there. I would sneak in and listen. The guy was phenomenal. He’s a psychiatrist. The players loved him. The biggest, baddest player on the team feared him. I will give you an example. You see how his hair is all (nice)? Coach Johnson will go jog around campus every day, you know? And we all would, with his shirt off.  I got ridiculed for jogging with my shirt off at LSU. But Jimmy could. So I could do it right?

Ed Orgeron has takeaways from time with Jimmy Johnson

“We live in some shotgun officers. So coach would come back now he put that hairspray, he’d have that hairspray, and he’d have it all right, but he’d be coming down the shotgun hall, and you coming this way and meeting up with Coach Johnson, if he’s smiling, you keep on walking. ‘Hey, Coach. What’s up? Hey, man.’ If he has that frown on his face. You take the first door you can and go hide till he passes.”

Johnson was innovative on how he utilized his players too, especially on defense. Orgeron noted the mixing and matching of positions.

“He just had that control over you, man. Jimmy knew how to push buttons, and I also learned from Coach Johnson besides, coaching football is how to recruit,” Orgeron said. “How to take special teams guys. I mean, take safeties and move them to  linebacker, linebackers, moving to defensive end, defensive end to defensive tackle. He wanted speed. He wanted speed. But the biggest thing he thought, he said, You got to have a smart quarterback. Everything that I’ve done from USC and LSU was marked off his blueprint and coach (Pete) Carroll’s blueprint.”