I'll start by stating that I'm an Oklahoma State fan and a Les Miles fan. That man did more to bring OSU to respectability than anybody since Barry Sanders. I just came to this board to read the LSU/OSU basketball game threads and saw this one about Les and it peaked my interest enough to register. I was very bitter about the way the Les left OSU. I kept that for about a year, then I watched LSU in their first bowl with Les as the helm and I found myself cheering for him and LSU to win. I've not had issue since. However, there are a few things that simply need to be said here. Les is about Les. That is a truly wonderful thing when he views the best thing for himself to be what is best for you or yours. But statements like "My wife and I and our kids love it here" don't mean anything. We heard them during his time in Stillwater. We all said that he loved OSU and that he wouldn't leave because his family enjoyed it so much. You also can't listen to denials as we also heard "I'm not talking to any other schools, I'm focused on getting this team ready for their bowl game." The truth of the matter was that he was absent from most of the practices and even took a call regarding the LSU job before the game and at half time of the game. The truth of the matter is that LSU is a big step up from Oklahoma State. It wasn't about money as OSU offered Les as much as he received in his contract from LSU. But he knew that he was going to have a hard time winning championships at OSU and he knew that it was going to be very hard to progress from OSU to Michigan or the NFL. LSU has a different situation than OSU did. OSU was playing in the Alamo Bowl whereas it appears that LSU is on pace for a BCS Championship game. It does raise an interesting point in that Les has a lot to gain by winning a national championship. It is the ultimate resume bullet point. So I'm sure that he'll maintain his focus. There is one thing that I do have a question in regards to some of the things said on this thread. I see comments about how Michigan should stay away until after the bowl game. Why should Michigan treat their head coaching search any differently than LSU did when they went after Les Miles? LSU had no qualms about sabotaging OSU's bowl preparation to get the man they wanted. Why should Michigan have qualms about it in regards to LSU? David Harrell - Pokes dwh
Because you were playing in the Alamo bowl we would be playing for the MNC. Little bit of a difference.
We didn't even have a coaching vacancy until 4 days before the Alamo Bowl. Wer're still well over a month before our bowl game.
Agents, Agents, Agents!!! The agents and the schools are suppose to do all the talking while the coaches take care of business. It's till a heart decision for Coach Miles. I'm fine with whatever he decides as long as he does NOT harm LSU. And I hope he stays. He is well on his way to building a great legacy at a great school. Passing that up might be a big mistake.
Tampering with a team is tampering with a team regardless. Or is there some watermark that below which makes it "ok?" David Harrell - Pokes dwh
can't disagree with you if your assessment of the situation is fact. no such thing as being a little bit pregnant.
I disagree that tampering is tampering. First of all, under your reasoning, NO school should approach any coach whose team is bowl eligible until after the bowl. That is an impossible rule to enforce and makes everyone stay on hold much too long. Secondly, there IS a difference between preparing for the Alamo Bowl and heading for a NC. It is lots better to hire a coach who just won a NC than a coach who just won the Alamo Bowl. For everyone's best interests, a coach of a #1 team deserves more consideration than other coaches being approached. Finally, I agree that Les Miles will do what is best for Les Miles. But there is no doubt that what is best for Les Miles is to win a NC. He won't want to be bothered with anything else right now. If he wins a NC, it's likely he'll be offered the Michigan job either now or sometime in the future. I also think that Lloyd Carr has done what is best for Lloyd Carr, i.e., announcing his retirement so early that it will be tough for Les Miles to be his successor. I think Miles knows that, doesn't want to burn bridges, and is going to keep his eye on the prize. At least I hope so. I think Les Miles will go to Michigan if one of two things happens: (1) we lose either Arkansas or the SECCG or (2) the coaching search at Michigan is unable to find someone else before the NC game. I don't think Michigan will talk to Les Miles as long as he looks like he's headed to the NC, and they have good reason to hold off (and if I'm right that Lloyd Carr is doing part of the steering, have a desire to hold off.) We know how it feels for a coach to leave at an inopportune time, and it isn't any fun, but with all due respect, there is really no comparison between the two situations.
This Les Miles talk sounds familiar If LSU coach Les Miles’ words this week sound a little familiar, there’s a reason. We’ve heard this before: Miles in December 2004, after he received a contract extension at Oklahoma State: “When I say I'm really happy here, I really am. I don't want to be looked at as (being) in a part-time spot. You got me? I just want you to know – this is a place I want to be. I don't want to talk about anything else, just to let you know.” A week later, he left for LSU. Read the rest of Tulsa World Sports Editor Mike Strain's blog here.
Re: This Les Miles talk sounds familiar click on here http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/blogs/weblog.aspx?column_id=8
