Ed Orgeron's voice is quintessentially Cajun, a product of his deep Louisiana roots

Zac Al-Khateeb

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Ed Orgeron's voice is quintessentially Cajun, a product of his deep Louisiana roots image

There may not be a better coach in all of college football to lead LSU than its current fiery leader, Ed Orgeron.

The Louisiana native personifies everything about the state and the program, from his Cajun roots, blue-collar work ethic and, perhaps most importantly, his voice.

In a season that has featured Heisman-winning quarterback Joe Burrow, the advent of a high-octane passing game under Steve Ensminger and Joe Brady, a ridiculous six wins over top-10 opponents and a chance at LSU's first College Football Playoff championship, perhaps nothing sticks out more about this team than Orgeron's gravelly, Cajun voice. It's the most distinct voice in college football, one that has drawn everything from pure curiosity to ridicule to myriad impersonations.

With that, here's everything you need to know about Coach O's voice: where it comes from, the many impressions it has produced and a few notable examples:

MORE: How Orgeron became Louisiana's favorite son

What happened to Ed Orgeron's voice?

Nothing. It's simply a product of his upbringing. Orgeron hails from Larose, La., in Lafourche Parish, about an hour south of New Orleans, where LSU will play for the national championship on Monday. According to a fascinating vocal study by The Washington Post, "everybody talks like that down there.”

More specifically, Orgeron's voice is a blend of French, Southern English and Cajun (Acadian). According to the Post, the area in which Orgeron was raised was settled largely by Acadians in the mid-18th century, by way of France, after the British expelled them from eastern Canada and northern Maine.

Robin White, an associate professor of English and French at Nicholls State University, told the Post that Orgeron's voice could be described as "flat" by someone from the Larose area, lending to its heavy French influence (which is described as having less vocal intonations than English). She said he pronounces his "Ts" more French, and his "Rs" a little softer than English.

Another fascinating tidbit: Orgeron's voice, White says, isn't Cajun. It's French. Why does that matter? The "N" at the end of his name is silent, meaning we've all been mispronouncing it when we say "Or-jer-on."

Ed Orgeron sounds like 'The Waterboy'

Anyone who's seen Adam Sandler's movie "The Waterboy" has probably made the connection between Orgeron and a character in said movie — "Farmer Fran" — whom no one can seem to understand because of his heavily exaggerated Cajun accent.

(Warning: foul language used)

Of course, some sharp-eyed commenters were quick to point out and highlight those similarities. Below is one example of many:

Curiously, the actor who plays "Farmer Fran" — Blake Clark, from Macon, Ga. — has another well-known role in which he employs an intelligible Cajun accent: "Old Cajun Man," in the movie "Joe Dirt." No one seems to have made the connection between that Orgeron and that character, but it's only a matter of time.

MORE: Sporting News' expert picks for CFP title game

Other teams passed over him because of the way he talks

At one point in time, USC had a chance to hire Orgeron as its next head coach. Orgeron led the Trojans to a 6-2 record as interim coach in 2013 after the school fired Lane Kiffin on the tarmac at LAX. Despite his success, USC opted instead to go with Steve Sarkisian, who was head coach at Washington from 2009-13 and, like Kiffin, was a former offensive coordinator for the Trojans.

Sarkisian lasted two seasons at USC, compiling a 12-6 record before getting fired for reasons stemming from alcohol abuse. Orgeron joined LSU as its defensive line coach in 2015 before taking over as interim coach in 2016, again going 6-2. LSU didn't make the same mistake USC did, hiring him full-time after the season.

But why did USC opt to pass on Orgeron? According to one theory posited Bruce Feldman of The Athletic (via the Rich Eisen Show), it was because of Orgeron's voice. Former athletic director Pat Haden simply didn't think Orgeron would be a cultural fit in Los Angeles.

“I really think it’s a USC issue,” Feldman said. “A lot of people at USC, especially back in that Pat Haden regime, who couldn’t get past what Ed Orgeron sounded like. They didn’t listen to the players. They didn’t listen to the staff. I think at the end of the day … Ed Orgeron is not a country club guy."

Fast forward to Monday's game: USC is 51-28 after USC made its decision, and LSU is 58-19 with a chance at a national title.

The best of Ed Orgeron's interviews

No article on Orgeron's voice would be complete without a sampling of some of his best interviews. So, without further ado, the best of Orgeron's interviews (and one postgame locker room speech):

(Warning: Foul language used)

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.