So This Les Miles to Michigan Story May Actually Have Legs: Miles to Talk With Dave Brandon on Tuesday
by Maize n Brew Dave on Jan 10, 2011 1:42 PM CST
in Michigan Football
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PrintUsually, rumors like "Les Miles to Michigan OMG!!!!1!!!!!" are features of internet message boards and random speculation. We heard them three years ago, and even heard Kirk Herbstreit announce that he'd been hired, before those unsubstantiated rumors were proven to be false. This time, however, the rumor actually has some legs.
Les Miles just confirmed at an LSU press conference that he will meet with Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon to "talk." While Miles maintains that the substance and time of this meeting is as yet undetermined (hahahahahahahahaha! Oh god... hahahahahahha... my sides...), he confirmed that he will meet with Michigan's head man. The Detroit News, which first reported this story on Sunday, maintains the meeting will take place this Tuesday in Dallas, where Miles' agent is located.
Personally, I've always been on the fence about Miles. I think he's certifiably insane when the headset is on and he's chewing on field turf. His play calling appears to be based on a magic 8-Ball and his penchant for skirting NCAA rules makes Rodriguez timekeeping screw up on stretching pale in comparison. On the other hand he "gets" what it means to be Michigan's head coach. He understands what these rival games mean; what THE GAME actually stands for and why it's important. Why we must beat Michigan State every year. He understands us. Despite how much I liked and respected Rich Rodriguez, he never got it (as his tearful Josh Groban debacle so thoroughly proved).
Is this a done deal? I don't think so. Miles is making a small mint in Baton Rouge ($3.7 Million a year) and seems to be utterly bulletproof not matter how insane he has proven himself to be. Brandon is going to have to not only cough up a substantial raise, but he's going to have to promise a moon-sized buyout in the event this marriage ends anything like Michigan's last one.
Irrespective, Les Miles and David Brandon are meeting this week and it ain't to talk about how nice the weather is. It's to talk about Miles potential future as Michigan's head football coach. Put that and LSU's AD's boldfaced LIES about whether Michigan had either requested permission to talk with or had contacted Miles, and you've got more than smoke.
You've got a full blown fire.
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I'm on board with Les
say what you will about his crazy antics, Les Miles is a proven winner in the toughest conference in the country, and his championship ring will wow recruits more then anything Hoke has to offer.
Still, I just see this as an attempt by Miles to get a raise at LSU. I have no doubt that LSU will be willing to give him a raise if they think the alternative is him jumping ship.
Gonna defend my AD here
Alleva’s statement was given right off the plane in BR when they got back from the Cotton Bowl, about 1:45 local time Saturday. Schad’s story didn’t even come out till later that evening and says nothing about Michigan actually contacting Miles or LSU, only that they “expressed interest in talking to…Miles”, via their source, to ESPN.
Not to say this upcoming meeting wasn’t a forgone conclusion from the minute Harbaugh went to the Niner’s. But seeing as how that happened Friday during the day of the cotton bowl, it’s pretty reasonable to assume Michigan’s powers that be would wait till after we got back, especially given how they botched the last attempt to get Miles so badly.
As for using this as a bargaining chip in getting an even better contract, with our current budget problems he can probably only get an extension at best. A raise without a league or division title is practically out of the question.
Managing Editor/Chief Lackey-And The Valley Shook THE LSU Tigers Blog of the Week for 52,136 Weeks in a Row and Counting
That's good news to me
if a raise is out of the question, then maybe we really do have a shot at landing Miles. Thanks for the input, Pod.
Fair enough
The timeline does indeed play out as you say. But the circumstances just make me call “BS” on it. It’s a gut feeling and one that’s not supported, per se, by facts. I should’ve said that, but didn’t. My bad.
I don’t think Miles is using this as a bargaining chip this time around. Based on what we know about the last contract (rodriguez’) and Former Michigan AD Bill Martin’s negotiating, I think Miles went into the 2007 negotiations thinking there’d be a real offer and was suprised to find out that Martin wanted a 1-2 Million dollar hometeam discount. At that point Miles said screw this, and used it to his advantage with LSU.
This time I think Michigan is bringing the check book along. But, at $3.7 a year, they’re going to have to write an awfully big check for Miles to take this one.
Maize n Brew
Because Football is Better with Beer
by Maize n Brew Dave on Jan 10, 2011 2:43 PM CST up reply actions
Not the coach's contract i'd be worried about
Miles likes to take very VERY good care of his asst. (some would say too much, but that’s a different discussion) If Mich isn’t willing to pony up for what a top flight staff costs these days, his own contract could be a moot point.
Eyes in the sky show the Domino’s plane on it’s way to BR from Dallas already. this discussion could happen tonight.
Managing Editor/Chief Lackey-And The Valley Shook THE LSU Tigers Blog of the Week for 52,136 Weeks in a Row and Counting
Great point about compensating the staffers...
…Frank Beamer used North Carolina’s interest not just to ink a better deal for himself, but to really boost that of his staff. There are a lot of reasons why Bud Foster is still DC in Blacksburg. In the end, UNC had to open its checkbook (by standards of that day which were only a few years ago) more than it wanted to sign Butch Davis.
Pod, thanks for the input. A quick question – how does LSU feel about its future with Miles (assuming the Michigan thing wasn’t happening) – like, are the fans/boosters/athletic department happy with him/would they want him around for the forseeable future? That said, would you want him around at LSU?
Go Maize, Blue, and Gray!
Miles
As a life long Tiger fan, I love Coach Miles. The reality is that there are a number of fans who are pretty nasty about him. But if you take into consideration that our primary QB Ryan Perilloux was thrown off the team, then our next great hope, Zach Lee, left to play MLB for 5 million a year, what we were left with at quarterback were two very inconsistent athletes. As a result, the offense was stale while the defense was staggering. Coach Miles literally took lemons and made lemonade. He is an OUTSTANDING recruiter and a player’s coach, and that’s all I needed to know. He wins games, takes chances and has one heck of a personality. Let’s face it, LSU got MUCH coverage this year because of him, and since when is that a bad thing? Michigan would be lucky to have him and we would be sucking wind. If he goes, so does some of our commitments and coaches (we HAVE to keep Coach Chavis). I follow this story every hour and would be sick if he left, but home is home, and at least he would be leaving for the right reasons.
by fitzgerald69 on Jan 10, 2011 8:56 PM CST up reply actions
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