Horseshit. LSU plays a strong schedule year in and year out in the SEC West. We play Alabama, Florida, and Auburn every fucking year, 3 to 6 ranked opponents, and no more cupcakes than anybody else does. Next you will be saying that he's still winning with Nick's recruits.
They are feeling out Les' agent on his interest in the job. They don't want to be turned down a third time. If he's not interested, they won't ask. On the other hand, an agent's job is to seek out opportunities for his client, both for a upgrade in jobs or for an upgrade in pay or a contract extension. Bass will make sure that any job offers Les receives are known to the LSU administration. Nick played this scenario several times at LSU, usually with NFL offers. Les has played it twice with Michigan offers.
If you recall, he turned down Tennessee just a few years back. Then there's his resignation from Notre Dame due to health issues before he was even able to coach a game there. The time required for coaching Duke pales in comparison to what it would take to work through the issues in Ann Arbor. It would certainly be a strain, both mentally and physically, on anyone who decides they're going to be the next Wolverine head coach. Does the situation Michigan is in have a bearing on his reported spurn of the Wolverines? I see no reason to discount that idea. However, I do think that's not the only reason(s) he would have—namely the environment in the position he's in now. One thing I believe is just as important is location: below the Mason-Dixon line. He's never had a gig north of there (at least one where he's coached an actual ball game.) While it's a foregone conclusion that a more traditionally laden program and more money would make any coach leave Duke for Michigan in Cut's case it's not so clear cut.
Nothing, that's just it, the pickings are slim, for them to have to come back to Les, to only get turned down for a third time. No school wants to get rejected three times. It's like asking the same girl to the same prom, an to keep being rejected. After all, they are Michigan. How the mighty have fallen. When they let Hoke go, they had a large list of names, thinking they would get one of those to show some interest, they never thought that the great school would be turned down by so many. Some people better take note.
This is the reason Old Mrs an Tenn are bumping up pay, Tenn finished up 6-6 an the coach gets rewarded, see how that works?
Changing the subject slightly... The raises for Freeze, Jones, Stoops, and with Mullen in contract negotiations, we're looking at Mark Richt being one of the lowest paid coaches in the SEC. (Setting aside Vandy due to records being private and unavailable through FOIA...CoachesHotSeat.com has Mason listed as receiving 2.2 million per BUT with no contract provided as evidence.) Chew on that for a second...
