Don’t get too comfortable LSU fans. If anything I would be even more nervous. That impromptu press conference that Les Miles held earlier today really means nothing at all. The fact that the University felt the need to address the rumors means that there was some truth behind them. As we all know where there’s smoke, there’s usually a fire. People don’t generally jump off the handle when the talking heads are speculating. I won’t bring up Nick Saban (wait I just did) but sometimes people say things just to weather the storm.
The thing is, Miles is a complete moron to even be entertaining this offer. Why would he want to leave the great program that was given to him, and he has continued to improve, to go to another place that needs a complete overhaul to reach a similar level of prominence? The level that the school demands, and expects. It’s not going to be easy for whoever takes that job to get the program back on its feet and up to the standard they demand. Anything less than being a prennial powerhouse is considered a failure. Just being Michigan isn’t enough anymore. It’s not easy to recruit anywhere. but now that Ohio State has taken reign over College Football, it’s only going to get harder for them to nab local recruits that once would have taken minimal effort to sign.
I acknowledge the great football history that the University has had. The tradition they have and the success they’ve enjoyed over the years is second to none. But you also have to realize that it’s not the 1980’s anymore. Notre Dame has recently found itself in a similar position. At least they have Charlie Weis, who somehow managed to piece together the top recruiting class in the nation despite posting an abysmal 3-9 record. I don’t know how much clout he is going to have left after the aberration of a season he just had, but at least with the talent they have stockpiled there is hope. The allure is still there for the Irish and the Wolverines, but the five star recruits no longer dream of going to the same school as Desmond Howard or Joe Montana. Today’s youth would rather follow in the footsteps of Reggie Bush, Vince Young, and Tim Tebow.
Of course Michigan is going to remain relevant, just as Notre Dame has, they are one year removed from a serious National Championship push. I just fear that they are headed for the same course that Penn State has traveled. The Nittany Lions have remained competitive, but they are a far cry from the powerhouse they were a decade ago. A guy like Les Miles would definately help the program circumvent this fate, as he has become one of the top recruiters at the collegiate level, and currently has the 14th rated incoming class in the nation. That number will likely rise in the coming weeks as a number of uncommitted high school seniors have LSU on their list of possible destinations. It also helps that Missouri and West Virgina lost today, placing the Tigers in prime position to sneak into the BCS Championship Game.
It just seems that Miles is chasing something that he already has. The USC’s of the world have replaced Michigan and Notre Dame in stature, the same way North Carolina and Duke took the places once held by Indiana and UCLA in college basketball. Now that Duke is starting to falter, Florida is ready to swoop in and take their place. It’s the natural cycle of things, a dynasty falls and another arises to take its place. I’m not saying that LSU is in the same class as these teams, but if they continue to build on their success it certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.
Between the success of Saban and Miles, LSU has the foundation laid to make a long and lasting run over college football. Namely, the SEC. You can’t blame Miles for having his vision clouted by all of those championship banners hanging in Ann Arbor. He’s from a different era, he grew up idolizing Bo Schembechler, but it would be foolish for him to step backwards.
He’s got everything on his side at LSU. With the National, non-stop, media coverage that exists today it is a lot easier to get the exposure that once was excluded to a few select, elite, universities. Now, a team can rise to prominence seemingly overnight. If the BCS selection committee is friendly to him tomorrow, his job is only going to get easier. It also doesn’t hurt that he has been placing players in the NFL year after year. Once you reach a certain point players start to seek you out, instead of vice-versa. Miles is already at this point, if he were to go to Michigan he would have to prove himself all over again.
Since taking over the reigns in 2005, LSU has gone 33-6. During that same span Michigan posted a 26-11 record. It looks like he’s already ahead of the game. Here’s to hoping he realizes it. Take the lesson learned by Saban. Sometimes it’s better to stay where you got your break instead of chasing after a seemingly bigger one. So LSU fans can rest easy now. Right?
RSS Updates
Email Updates
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I think he should go. LSU is good, but they aren’t Michigan. The name holds so much prestigue alone. People will always want to go to Michigan just because of what it represents and the stigma that sits behind wearing Maze and Blue. It means something be a Wolverine, what does being a Tiger mean?
Yo, is this fool Art stupid? Yo, Michigan is crumbling. They still in there, but they aren’t who they used to be. Feel me? LSU is on their way to the BCS championsip as we speak against Oh St. (possibly), and you want to say that the Wolvs are more legit? Being a Tiger means winning your confrence and competing for the National Title year in and out… isn’t htat enough? So should Miles go back to a crappy school and start rebuilding the mess that is left? Be in a confrence that he can’t win every year? That sounds knid of stupid to me when he has already built a contender at LSU that is only going to get better. With a name like Art I can tell you are old as Sh1t, and don’t know what decade your in, so ill give you a pass this time.
Miles isn’t going anywhere, he knows what he has there. It’d be pretty stupid for him to take off to Michigan, especially if he wins the national title this year. No way it happens.
Les Miles did not build the LSU program. Nick Saban brouht the Tigers back from obscurity and is the reason LSU is where it is today. Les Miles took over a successful program and has managed not to run it into the ground (ulike Larry Coker at Miami).
Bob is correct…….that program was rolling when he got there……
Les Miles leave the great program “he built from nothing”? Dude, of his 22 starters this year, 17 were former Saban recruits. try to get your facts at least remotely right.
This article is nonsense and speculation, yo (sorry, trying to be like “Tony Starks,” the commenter who agrees with you most). It might not be a great idea for Miles to go to Michigan, he’s doing great with the program Saban built (good look on that part). Michigan consistently gets top-10 recruiting classes. Irrelevant? Last year people argued they were so far above the rest of the nation (untrue) that they should play OSU in a rematch for the championship.
Lloyd prepared one of the most talented teams in the country as badly as was humanly possible. They still were in the top echelon of college teams. Notre Dame, you assclown, went 3-9 this year. In the program’s worst year ever, Michigan lost 4 games, one to a team that will be playing in the national championship, and another to a team that would have had its QB been healthy.
In any case, arguing that it’s easier to recruit in the SEC is obviously untrue. Miles isn’t going up against Tulane any more than Michigan is recruiting against Central Michigan. LSU fights with Florida, Miami, Tenn, Georgia, etc; Michigan goes against PSU, OSU, USC, Notre Dame, etc. It’s different regionally, but LSU doesn’t have an easy road.
And last, Michigan does NOT need a total overhaul. Their QB was a top 5 prospect, they have two top-10 LBs coming in, along with Sam McGuffie, and always have insane OL players and recruits. p>
“Why would he want to leave the great program that was given to him to go to another place that needs a complete overhaul to reach a similar level of prominence?”
“Between the success of Saban and Miles, LSU has the foundation laid to make a long and lasting run over college football, namely the SEC.”
@onelststnd- I’m pretty sure it was absolutely clear that Les Miles took over the keys to a corvette, and the author went out of his way to make sure it read that way.
Humanity- Where did I make I say anything about Nortre Dame being good? I said they used to be a dynasty, they are still relevant mainly because of Charlie Weis. They have the top rated recruiting class coming in next season, just as they had one of the top ten last season, but still managed to fail.
As far as recruiting goes, as you can see, it is a lot easier to recruit LOCAL players from the state of Louisiana than it is to recruit local talent in Michigan. As far as five star recruits go, it’s a free for all. They have their choice of anywhere in the country. I was speaking on a local, hometown, level. Maybe the three star local legend. The little guys that make the difference. As you agreed, it is harder to recruit up north against the big ten schools. That is exactly what I was saying. Especially with OSU right around the corner.
No, and Michigan doesn’t need a total overhaul, they are still competitive, but LSU has emerged as a powerhouse over the last few years. They are crumbling. They are a shadow of their former selves. Just like Duke is in basketball. Sure they are still one of the prominent programs in the country, but they aren’t a prennial Final Four team. Read between the lines, I already stated this.
Who are these two top ten LB’s and OL players and other great recruits? The only LB I know of is Christian Wilson, who is ranked below Ryan Barker who is committed to LSU. Otherwise they don’t have another one in the top 80. the only other top ten recruit Michigan has coming in is Brandon Moore at tight end, who is ranked tenth behind Matt Branch who is committed to LSU.
@Bob and onelststnd- How has Les Miles run LSU into the ground? He has the 14th overall recruiting class coming in next season, and his team is currently ranked second in the coaches poll. Chances are he is going to be playing for the National Title against OSU… Sounds like a pretty bad situation, huh?
Do people read the articles or just jump off the handle? Nick is clearly stating that Miles is in a good situation, why leave? LSU is on the up and up, and Michigan is just kind of a middle of the pack team. They used to like USC, everyone wanted to go there, they got all the best players, but now they are just kind of maintaining. They are no longer a prennial powerhouse. Like Penn State they will have a few good seasons here and there, but it’s not like every year you are scared of them. In fact, OSU has taken their place as the beast of the east. Deal with it Michigan fans. I bet if we revealed all the critics locations all of them would probably be from Detroit. Go say a prayer with Jon Kitna for your university.
It’ll hurt LSU if Les Miles leaves, because they’ve been successful for years. Seeing them lose their head coach, and then rebuild will bring failure towards the LSU football team.
I can’t believe people would even argue this or want to take credit away from Les. Saban might have recruited these players, but Miles put them in the National Championship game. Saban had little to do with their success besides realizing they were talented at the Prep level. They played Miles ball for three years and are now in the BCS Bowl. This is only going to help him have an even bigger edge over his competition now while recruiting. Where is the argument? LSU is clearly the better situation to coach in.
UNC never replaced Indiana as a national power. When they were both national powers, they were powers at the same time, but UNC’s status as an elite program preceded IU and outlasted it. When Bob Knight won his second title he did it beating the Heels and when he coached the 1984 Olympic team to a gold medal, he did it with Sam Perkins and Michael Jordan. Dook was down last year when Florida was an overwhelming favorite, but the year before Coach K won a ton of games and was #1 practically all year long with JJ Redick and Sheldon Williams. It seems a bit premature to throwing dirt on them or saying they’ve been replaced by Billy Donovan.
You’re probably right about Les Miles, though.
When you used to think College Basketball it was Bobby Knight and Indiana at the forefront. With Eric Gordon they are certainly on the right track.
The thing with Duke, they are a perfect analogy for Michigan. Michigan is still in there, competiting, but they aren’t feared anymore. This will be the first graduating class from Duke that didn’t witness their basketball team make the Final Four since 1985, if they don’t get there. Duke is still a basketball school in every sense, they just aren’t what they used to be.
Nick, When you mention LSU has the 14th ranked recruiting class in the country, I assume you’re using the Scout.com team recruiting rankings. On these rankings LSU is continuing to ascend, as you predicted and they’re now 13th. But go see for yourself who’s #12 right above them. Here, I’ll save you the trouble, it’s Michigan. Their average star level for their recruits is also a full half point (3.76-3.29) above the Tigers. You think players are just falling over themselves to go to schools like USC and Florida over Michigan? Check out the #5 RB recruit for next year, Sam McGuffie.
http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=8&c=1&nid=2750610
If you’ll notice USC, Florida, Notre Dame and A&M from his home state all offered and he still verbaled Michigan.
I appreciate some of your opinions, but you seem like you’re trying to be edgy and against the grain of most of these Miles to Michigan stories, just for that reason alone.
“Why would he want to leave the great program that was given to him” There’s a simple answer to your question…it’s because the great program was GIVEN to him. It’s not his program, it’s not his school, it’s not his region. He has zero ties to that team other than it being a pretty good job in a competitive conference. Emotion plays more into these men than writers give them credit for.
When he beats Ohio State in January, don’t you think he’s going to have that feeling wash over him once again, how great it is to beat the Buckeyes? You don’t think he’s going to say to himself how great it would be to be able to play, and beat them every year, in the only sporting rivalry in our country that’s as storied as the Yankees-Red Sox?
You don’t think he wants a building on campus near Crisler Arena, Yost Ice Arena, Oosterbaan Fieldhouse and Schembechler Hall? There’s things in this world being the coach at LSU will never be able to provide, and the chance to be a legend at a football school known for being legendary is certainly that.
“It’s the natural cycle of things, a dynasty falls and another arises to take its place.” Generally, in professional sports, I agree. I think there’s exceptions in college sports though. Look at Kansas in basketball, who year in and year out keep plugging away and are always in the conversation, but again I think you don’t see this really for what it is. As you probably know, Michigan has the all time college win record with 860 and a win percentage of nearly 75%. When it comes to football in Ann Arbor, it’s not a dynasty and it’s not a record, it just simply is The Way.
Honestly the only good thing I think LSU can offer that Michigan can’t is home games played at night to a primetime (usually) national TV audience.
Look, you can diss michigan if y’all want. i understand we haven’t been great the last few years. But don’t even mention us in the same breath and notre dame, penn state or florida state. The bottom has not fallen out. We’re still a perennial (every year) bowl team and top 25 team.
And “turning around” a great program like this can be done in a single year. You guys really think OSU and USC’s status right now is permenent or insurmountable? This is college football. things turn on a dime. And Michigan’s recruiting hasn’t fallen off at all.
Now, I agree we’re in a tricky position right now. And I agree that Michigan might be the wrong place for les miles. As they say, you can’t go home again.
But also, this is a place where if you come in, keep things as they are, win a couple big games, then the job is yours, basically for life. You think the same about LSU? those fuckers will be calling for his head in a heartbeat.
Miles isn’t going to Michigan, but I suspect that aside from the past ties, the biggest allure to him was that LSU coaches don’t retire, they get fired or leave for other jobs–and they aren’t really welcome back in Baton Rouge.
Aside from Gary Moeller’s drunken incident, Michigan coaches do retire and they are revered in Ann Arbor.
And, as others have noted, there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit in Ann Arbor for any new coach these days. Antiquated philosophies on strength and conditioning, offense, and defense that any coach worth his salt would change. The question is whether the old guard, led by Lloyd, would gum up the works bureaucratically to block significant changes. And that may have been one of the issues in Miles’ mind as he weighed his options.
“But you also have to realize that it’s not the 1980’s anymore.”
Michigan won the national championship in 1997.
Your funny.
Come on 1997, you say that like it means something. That was 10 years ago, The Bulls were the best team in sports then, Mark McGwire was the people’s home run king, Sammy Sosa was on his way to Bonds like stature (without the speculation) Cal Ripken’s streak was still going on, the Broncos were on their way to building a mini-dynasty, Barry Bonds was skinny, Ricky Williams was trotting all over college football, LeBron James was 12.
Anyways, I think you mean they shared the National Championship in 1997 with Nebraska. The reason I said it’s not the 1980’s anymore is because the Wolverines unprecendented run over college football and the Big Ten ended right around 1992. Sorry, I should have said it’s not 1992. I would expect you to to know that being a Michigan fan and all. Like I said, they are still a big time program, but they aren’t the dynasty they once were. Just like the Chicago Bulls are still a playoff team, but it is going to take some work for them the get back to what they were.
Let’s take a look at the numbers: From 1970-1992 They won 15 Big Ten Titles. From 1993-2007 They have won 5. This decade they have won 3, making it argubaly the worst decade in Michigan history since the 1910’s or 1950’s. Like I said, they are still relevant, but they aren’t what they used to be.
I’m sick of arguing about this. History doesn’t matter, we’re talking about the now. On January 1, 2008 I will sit down, tune my tv to ABC, and watch Michigan in the Capital One Bowl when they play Florida. Then a week later I’ll tune into Fox, sit down, and watch LSU in the BCS National Championship Game when they play Ohio State.
Leave a Comment