Central’s Steve Ensminger Helped Guide LSU, Joe Burrow To Season of Greatness

Under LSU quarterbacks coach Joe Brady and his offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger of Central, Joe Burrow has developed into the outstanding college quarterback in the country. He is the odds-on favorite to win this year’s Heisman Trophy.

For Steve Ensminger, it is just one of a host of triumphs he’s experienced since entering coaching.  Steve grew up in Central and played football at Central High School, winning All-State honors in 1975 under coach Sonny Jackson and offensive coordinator John McCann.

City of Central founder Russell Starns played with Ensminger on the Wildcat football team and remains one of his closest friends in Central. He remembers Steve’s tremendous competitiveness as an athlete at Central High School. “He was outstanding in all sports — football, basketball, and baseball. He was very confident in his abilities, even as a freshman. In the 10th grade, when the starting quarterback was injured in a motorcycle accident, Steve stepped in and never relinquished the position after that,” Starns said.

“Steve had a tremendous field presence. He could read the defense instantly. He was always prepared. In that way, he and Burrow are very much alike. In those days, teams did not rely as much on the pass. Actually, we should have given Steve the chance to pass a lot more.”

Nevertheless, the Central star won All-State honors and a scholarship to LSU where he really came into his own. Named to the All-SEC freshman team, he played quarterback for the Tigers from 1976 to 1979.  He passed for 2,770 yards and 16 touchdowns.

After graduating from LSU, Ensminger played professional football for the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles.

In 1982, he began one of the most interesting and varied careers in the history of college coaching. Starting at Nicholls as wide receivers coach, he went on to serve as offensive coordinator at McNeese and Louisiana Tech from 1984-1990.  Then he had two-year stints as offensive coordinator at Georgia, Texas A&M, and Clemson. 

Often when a head coach is fired, his entire coaching staff is let go as well. That happened to Ensminger on more than one occasion.

By 2000, he had had enough of college coaching, and he returned to Central High School. Russell Starns encouraged it, and Steve coached Russell’s son Jonathan.

While coaching at Central, Steve taught at Winbourne Elementary. Russell said, “Steve has a reputation, which is not deserved, of being very tough and hard. Just the opposite is true. At Winbourne, he was serving kids who were coming from very desperate situations, and you could see the big heart he has for people.”

In 2002, he moved to West Monroe High, but in 2003, he went to Auburn as quarterback coach, wide receivers coach, and then offensive coordinator. In 2009, he went back to high school coaching but stayed in Auburn. In 2010, Steve returned to LSU and became tight ends coach. When Les Miles was fired, Coach Orgeron kept Steve. He became offensive coordinator in January 2018. For the 2019 season, he brought on Joe Brady to coach quarterbacks.

Steve and his wife Amy have three children. Until the August 2016 flood, they lived off Joor Road in Central.

Russell is happy that his friend Steve Ensminger is now being recognized as one of America’s greatest coaches. “He deserves it! He loves LSU like he does Central, and he just wants them to win!”

Under coaches Ensminger and Brady, Burrow has had 4,715 passing yards, 48 touchdowns, and six interceptions.