The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled late last month that Ed Orgeron owed his ex-wife Kelly half of his $17 million LSU buyout, seemingly closing an addendum to the final chapter of a coaching tenure that ended Nov. 27, 2021.
But perhaps not.
Orgeron's attorneys have submitted an application for a re-hearing, with 20 law firms signed on to support the former LSU coach, according to The Baton Rouge Advocate.
“Unless reversed, the decision will generate absurd and unjust consequences with wide-ranging implications far beyond this case,” Orgeron's attorney Randy Smith wrote.
LSU defeated Clemson to win the 2019 national championship on Jan. 13, 2020, and Orgeron signed a term sheet detailing a contract extension the following day. The Orgerons filed for divorce the following month, and LSU formally approved Ed's new contract in April. By a 5-2 decision, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that term sheet was legally binding, reversing two lower-court decisions.
Orgeron's attorneys now argue the Supreme Court's ruling set a precedent that could affect people far less prominent than the head coach of the state's flagship institution, calling the ruling "morally jarring." From the Advocate:
The filings from Ed Orgeron also describe a case in which a husband is catastrophically injured on an offshore oil rig and previously had an employment agreement allowing for liquidated damages if he lost income because of a job-related injury. If his spouse files for divorce on day after he’s injured, the spouse would be entitled to half his liquidated damages from his employer, based on the high court’s recent ruling, the filings say.
Orgeron's attorneys also argued Kelly Orgeron participated in Ed's $13 million in earnings while coaching LSU, as well as bonuses, retirement accounts, and property owned by the couple (which makes sense, because they were married). They also argue the $8.13 million ruling did not account for the taxes Ed owed on the $17 million buyout.
Kelly Orgeron's lawyers argued that the case is settled. “The Louisiana Supreme Court properly applied Louisiana law to the facts of this case,” Lowe and attorney Paula Lee told the paper. “The legal issues have been briefed ad nauseum.”