LSU coach Ed Orgeron has been named one of 18 semifinalists for the George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year, the Maxwell Foundation Club announced Wednesday.

LSU has a 9-2 overall record and is ranked No. 7 in the College Football Playoff poll under Orgeron, a Larose native, who is in his second full season. The Tigers have beaten three teams this season that were ranked in the top 10 in the AP polls, including a 36-16 win over then-No. 2 Georgia on Oct. 13.

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The semifinalists will be narrowed to three finalists on Dec. 10, and the winner will be announced Dec. 28.

The formal presentation of the Coach of the Year Award will be at the Maxwell Football Club's National Awards Gala on March 8, at the Tropicana Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

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LSU's season has defied preseason expectations. The Tigers were picked to finish fifth in the West Division in the Southeastern Conference's preseason rankings, and the team needs one more victory to complete its first 10-win season since 2013 — when LSU went 10-3 with an Outback Bowl victory over Iowa.

LSU plays at Texas A&M on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

The full list of semifinalists are listed below:

Ed Orgeron (LSU)

Dino Barbers (Syracuse)

Bill Clark (UAB)

Butch Davis (Florida International)

Luke Fickell (Cincinnati)

Jim Harbough (Michigan)

Josh Heupel (Central Florida)

Brian Kelly (Notre Dame)

Mike Leach (Washington State)

Lance Leipold (Buffalo)

Jeff Monken (Army)

Lincoln Riley (Oklahoma)

Nick Saban (Alabama)

Kirby Smart (Georgia)

Mark Stoops (Kentucky)

Dabo Swinney (Clemson)

Matt Wells (Utah State)

Kyle Whittingham (Utah)