Ed Orgeron’s $17M Buyout Battle Reaches Louisiana Supreme Court
Former LSU football coach Ed Orgeron is fighting to keep his entire $17 million buyout, arguing to the Louisiana Supreme Court on Tuesday that his ex-wife, Kelly Orgeron, has no claim to the money since it was earned after their 2020 divorce.
Attorneys for both parties presented opposing cases before the state’s highest court in New Orleans, stemming from a divorce that began shortly after Orgeron led LSU to a national championship and before his 2021 firing.
Kelly Orgeron’s legal team contends that she deserves a share of the termination package and past salary, claiming the groundwork for the buyout was laid during their marriage. Her case centers around a $42 million contract that Ed Orgeron signed with LSU in 2020, shortly before filing for divorce—by then, court proceedings were already underway.
Her lawyer, Robert Lowe, argued she had given up her own career as a nurse practitioner to support Ed Orgeron’s coaching journey and raise their children. Lowe shared a striking moment with the court, saying:
“Once LSU won the national championship in 2020, Ed told his wife, ‘We finally made it.’”
But soon after the victory, things took a turn.
“He had his agent call her and tell her he filed for divorce. He didn’t do it himself,” Lowe added. “I believe his plan was to deprive her from this money.”
Ed Orgeron’s attorney, Randy Smith, countered that the coach already paid Kelly half of what he earned in the 43 days between signing his contract extension and filing for divorce. That new deal bumped his salary to about $7 million a year. Smith also said Orgeron split the $700,000 in championship bonuses with his ex-wife.
He urged the court to consider the substance of the agreement—not just the timeline—emphasizing that the buyout wasn’t a reward for past success, but rather compensation for future work still required.
“The time and expenditure of the labor is what counts, not the date of the contract execution,” Smith said. “Here, the good work that Coach O did led to a raise … but he still had to go to work and he could be fired any time.”
So far, lower courts have sided with Ed Orgeron, ruling that Kelly Orgeron has no right to earnings post-divorce. Smith warned that reversing this could create legal chaos:
“Any spouse could come in however many years later and argue that any raise and any future job was birthed during the marriage.”
LSU is still paying out Orgeron’s buyout in 18 installments through 2025. His final three payments are scheduled for this year: $426,000 in June, $750,000 in July, and $426,000 in December.
Adding to the drama, three justices recused themselves from the case.
Chief Justice John Weimer cited a personal friendship with one party.
Justice John Michael Guidry said he had ruled on a related matter previously.
Justice Will Crain recused himself without explanation, referring to judicial ethics codes.
They were replaced by three retired judges sitting ad hoc:
John Conery, former Third Circuit Court of Appeal judge
Joseph Bleich, former state Supreme Court justice
Martin Coady, former 22nd Judicial District judge
The final ruling from this high-profile divorce and legal showdown remains pending.
