Former USC coach Ed Orgeron attends Sugar Bowl as Lane Kiffin’s guest

Former USC coach Ed Orgeron attended Thursday night’s Sugar Bowl game between Alabama and Ohio State as a guest of Lane Kiffin, the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator and former Trojans coach.

“Great seats,” Orgeron said in an aisle at the Superdome.

Orgeron added that it was the first college football game he had attended as a fan since he began coaching.

Orgeron served as the Trojans’ interim coach after Kiffin was fired last season. He left the program before the 2013 Las Vegas Bowl after USC hired Steve Sarkisian to be head coach.

Orgeron, who lives about 25 miles outside of New Orleans, did not coach this season but he said he was optimistic that he will be back on the field somewhere for the 2015 season.

“I’m just waiting for the right thing to open,” Orgeron said. “There have been some opportunities, but I’m going to wait for the right one.”

Orgeron told Times columnist Bill Plaschke in November that he would be open to returning to USC, but Sarkisian has given no indication that it would happen.