It's pretty obvious that Les Miles will be Michigan's next head coach.Yeah, I have one. Have you ever noticed, Coach, that your emotions are your worst vice?"They've not called," Miles said at his weekly media luncheon in reference to Monday's formal announcement that Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is retiring.
"It's unfair to Michigan to say that they should. It's unfair to me and my team. I promise you this, what I'm doing is what you should do - let it rest. I'm playing football for LSU. I love this team."
Miles teared up and paused for 15 seconds before composing himself. "And I'll not do anything to hurt it," he said as his voice broke. "Any questions?"
You couldn't keep your mouth shut when you called out Southern Cal in the preseason. And you mouthed off about "Effin' Alabama" and their new ringleader a few months back.
You've given some bizarro pre, mid, and post-game interviews, Coach. And most recently, when your tears cascaded softly onto the podium in Tiger Stadium's press room, you gave your deepest secret away 6 weeks early.
You're a Michigan Man, and wild horses couldn't keep you away from Ann Arbor. Oops.
Then again, you win a lot of games, Les. A lot of damn games.
Sometimes you do it in the most insane fashion possible, such as going for it four consecutive times in the 4th-quarter against Florida. And once, you came within an eyelash of becoming the biggest goat in school history when you had your quarterback loft one into the endzone with only a tick or two on the clock instead of positioning yourself for a game-winning kick against Auburn.
But you get the last laugh, Coach. You won those games. And you've been on one hell of a magic carpet ride this year.
Your Tigers are ranked #1 in the country and only Georgia or Tennessee stands in the way of an SEC title and a BCS title berth. And even then, your team gets the magic draw again because you're going to get -- sorry, I have to say it -- easy pickings such as Mizzou, Kansas, or possibly even Ohio State to feast upon in that game.
The kicker? You get to the play the game right at home in New Orleans. Talk about greasing the damn skids, Coach!
But maybe your vice is also your biggest strength. Maybe somewhere in that demented cranium of yours, where 4th-down equates to 2nd-down, do-or-die touchdown lobs which are wholly unnecessary actually make sense, and freaky sideline encounters with TV reporters are totally normal, you're squirreling away your football mojo. Maybe those tears you cried are the concentrated essence of such, and they're the necessary evil, your great burden which accompanies your great success.
So you said goodbye. You didn't use words, but you made it clear. You are leaving the bayou. You said it too early, and at a bad time... a really bad time, in fact, considering what lies ahead for your team. We know you care. We know you're hurting. We know this is just tearing you to pieces.
What will LSU do after you're gone?
Well, Coach, I wouldn't worry about it too much. You're leaving behind the same incredibly fertile territory for recruiting which your championship predecessor, Nick Saban, once enjoyed and exploited. Whomever follows in your footsteps will pick up without missing a beat, just like you did.
One thing I would worry about... ? Replicating that success at Michigan, where recruiting will no longer be the slam dunk you enjoyed in the south.
Don't believe me? Look at what's happened to other great coaches once they've left the school that made them.
Steve Spurrier is now the resident head coach at the SEC Graveyard School for Formerly Great Coaches. Two years of failure in the NFL and three years of flailing at South Carolina have finally started to tarnish the sterling reputation of one of the greatest coaches in the conference.
Nick Saban is only four years removed from his national championship season at LSU, but he's not come close to sniffing success since, either with the Miami Dolphins or in his first year at Bama. Just a few days ago, his Crimson Tide lost to a Sun Belt team. Yeah, it's early, but...
Remember Lou Holtz at Notre Dame? Sure seems like a long time ago now. That was the last of Holtz's great success.
Speaking of Notre Dame, even poor Charlie Weis is feeing the pain of leaving his mojo behind. Sure, he earned all his glory with the New England Patriots in the No Fun League, but boy, talk about being a long, long way from home.
So are you sure, Les? Your heart obviously says yes. You're a Michigan Man.
What does the old noggin say?
Whoops. Forgot. You're not quite right up there.
Then again, maybe we're wrong about the whole damn thing. Kige Ramsey, take us out with your sterling insight:
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-21-2007 @ 8:56PM
Jim said...
Sorry, but LSU will never make it pass Georgia. Also if Tenn. beats Kentucky LSU will not make it past Tenn. either.
LSU fans will tear me apart for saying this but it is the truth. They'll do good to beat Ark. But Ark can be beat. LSU will not be in the BCS title game this year. Les you better go to Michigan because your time is up in the SEC... Then you will be found out at Michigan in the Big Ten too...
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11-21-2007 @ 9:58PM
Gregg said...
Give me a break. Miles swelled up over his current LSU team. Not Michigan. He talked proudly about Michigan, but he didn't tear up over Michigan. As far as the "emotions" go when he was calling all of those 4th down plays there was really no other choice. They were short yardage and it was possibly the last time in the game LSU would have the ball. Nothing unusual there except the number of tries and that was dictated by what happened on the field. The end of the Auburn game was nothing unusual. There were about 35 seconds on the play clock after the last play and the team was at the line at nearly 20 seconds for a 6 second stab at the endzone, which any rational person thought would be a good idea considering the troubles kickers have in Tiger Stadium. For some reason Flynn took a lot of time to get the play off, but even then he knew it was a short play and the receiver caught the ball at 4 seconds. LSU was still kicking the FG if the pass is incomplete. The only real risk was interception, and that risk was very small on that play. The "play with one second left" thing is a total myth. There was time. It was a well conceived play. It eliminated difficult FG try that was anything but a sure thing. Good coaching anyway you look at it.
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11-21-2007 @ 10:04PM
Ryan Ferguson said...
As a matter of fact it was a terrible coaching move. I don't recall hearing a single analyst with coaching experience who agreed with the call.
The area in which most people seem to have the greatest difficulty on this micro-topic is the fact that the Tigers were not in "gimme" field goal range when the attempt was made. I can accept the fact that Flynn took a long time getting the play off, although that is one of the risks a coach takes when he lets his team run back onto the field without calling a timeout; what I can't accept is the overwhelming downside of failure on a low-percentage play like that vs. the high-percentage advantage of moving the ball another 5 yards forward and towards the middle of the field.
Let's say the pass was incomplete and the kick breezes inches outside the right upright. What then? It's the dumbest call in college football.
Les Miles got lucky. Big time.
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11-21-2007 @ 11:05PM
Chris said...
Wow - do you follow sports?
Les can't recruit at Michigan? Yea, they never get anyone good to go there. It is the best football job in the nation.
Wow.
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11-21-2007 @ 11:08PM
Ryan Ferguson said...
Thanks, Chris. I do follow sports. Do you? LSU has a lock on all their in-state recruits. Michigan must battle against Ohio State, who generally seems to have the upper hand as of late, as well as Ron Zook's recruiting machine. Not to mention there are some other good recruiters who come regularly to pull kids out of Michigan to take them elsewhere.
Recruiting at Michigan won't even resemble what Miles has done to date in the SEC. Not to say Miles can't succeed at that up north, but it will be a hell of a lot harder to assemble a team resembling anything like his Bayou Bengals.
How do you like Michigan or Ohio State's chances against LSU in a bowl game? I don't think it'd even be close. There's a reason for that.
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11-22-2007 @ 12:50AM
travy said...
totally agree that the tears tipped his hand. but i think this will distract his team and allow uga to hit 'em in the mouth and knock them out of the championship game. if it's the vols, i think they lose no matter what...
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11-22-2007 @ 1:07AM
Gregg said...
The rest of the SEC only hopes that Miles goes to the Big 10. Problem is that all LSU needs is any decent motivator and program manager to keep the juggernaut going. No competition for outstanding in state recruits. The most top notch recruits per capita of any state. A program and facilities second to none. LSU may or may not win the BCSCG this year or even survive the nest two tough games, but one thing is for sure. LSU will be talked about in the same sentence as other National Championship contenders for many years to come. Regardless of who the coach is.
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11-22-2007 @ 12:17PM
r bentley said...
Ihope that jerk goes to Michigan so the Buckeyes can kick his butt like they did when he was at Oklahoma State.Maybe Bo can send along some more tips on how to beat Ohio State like he did 3 years ago.Too bad the current system probably won't give the Bucks a chance to upset LSU's over rated apple cart this year.
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11-22-2007 @ 12:28PM
Malcolm R. Young said...
Crocidile Tears????? Who cares!!!! Jimbo Fischer's getting a little Head coach experience for his return to Tiger Town
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11-22-2007 @ 1:38PM
andrew said...
i agree with you that recruiting in the south is easier than in the midwest, particularly for a school based in a relatively talent-poor state like Michigan. however, that you equate current-state Michigan with the likes of south carolina and alabama is not close to a fair portrayal.
south carolina: their 9-3 record in 2001 was their best since 1984, when they went 10-2. this is a traditionally mediocre-at-best team. even with holtz (who, incidentally, came out of retirement to coach the cocks) and spurrier, they were a middling program. in terms of big ten teams, sc is comparable to the likes of purdue or indiana, not Michigan.
alabama: closer, but not quite. they were highly relevant in the stallings era, but spotty at best since. their record since stallings left town is far behind Michigan's. they have been far more mediocre than good over the last decade, unlike Michigan (more good than mediocre, even including the last 3 seasons - mike shula would have killed for 8-4). alabama is more akin to notre dame (living on past glory with no recent success) than Michigan (actually has had some recent success).
the long-winded point? it is far easier to succeed at Michigan right now than it is at alabama now or south carolina ever. Michigan has had a recent track record of success. Michigan has not had a carousel of coaches like other schools, so recruits can at least be reasonably assured that the next head coach will stick around for a while (not many places you can upgrade to from places like Michigan, oklahoma, ohio state, etc). that the next head coach may be one that has always loved the school bodes well for recruiting. harder than lsu? maybe. too difficult to overcome? not even close.
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11-22-2007 @ 10:32PM
johnnyknox said...
Les Miles will coach for Michigan, and everyone knows it. I can see waiting till after the bowl game to announce it, but don't pull a Nick Saban and deny the truth. He is a Michigan man
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11-23-2007 @ 8:39PM
Sam said...
Ryan,
Obviously, you have your SEC colored glasses on, which might be a little too fogged up from all that humidity down there!
As an Ohio State fan, I personally hope Les comes to Michigan, because I'm not convinced that he's that great of a coach. No doubt that LSU has a lot of talent, but, thier close wins this year certainly prove they're not that dominant of a team, even though they do have very good talent, admittedly (and the fact that they had no defense against Arkansas in 3OT) But, when you say he will have trouble recruting at Michigan, I think you are either naive or ignorant. Michigan is one of the most respected programs in the nation. Michigan recruits nationally, and can get more than their fair share of blue chippers! Even true Ohio State fans that loves and respect college football, & that love to hate the Wolverines, if they're truly honest, respect them. If you ask any college coach or anyone knowledgable with college football, they will tell you that Michigan is a premier program, and would be listed in the top 3-5 programs in the country, even ahead of your beloved LSU! No disrepect to LSU, I've sort of been rooting for them this year, but, you make it sound like Louisiana is the cash cow for college football recruits. There is a ton of talent in Ohio, Florida and Texas as well!
Anyways... Les is an Ohio boy.. but, keep him down south. Michigan can get just about anybody they want and I hope they don't go for Urban Meyer (an Ohio boy), Rick Pitino, or Nick Saban (went to college in Ohio & former Ohio State assistant). Even Stoops (another Ohio boy)in Oklahoma would be a great choice, but he's probably too entrenched in Oklahoma, now! Michigan can recruit, especially in Ohio.. .damn!
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12-02-2007 @ 1:26AM
shlomo said...
Les is mediocre...we need a committee to get him off the block (beastie boys)
Nothing elite about him...he's gotta go or he'll hurt us Tigers down the road...
Has anyone heard if he's going...I HOPE SO
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1-04-2009 @ 5:40PM
Tigergrl26 said...
Hahahahahaha! WRONG on all counts. Miles to Michigan - check! LSU can't beat Tennessee - check! LSU going to the Sugar Bowl - check!
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