Is it the pretty coeds at LSU?

Is it the great university setting?

Is it that the Louisiana people love him?

Is it that he has Louisiana in his back pocket for recruiting and has made serious in-roads into Texas and Florida?

Is it the quality of SEC football and the challenge week in and week out?

Is it that Michigan will not defeat Ohio State for at least three, maybe five, years?

Is it the pretty LSU uniforms that are dynamic?

Is it the money?

Here is one observation.  I agree that if Miles went to Michigan it would be a failure. Half of the Michigan athletic supporters want the Iowa coach and half want Miles.  Carr does not want Miles and although Lloyd Carr looks and acts like a mortician,he does carrysome weitght.

So here is the observation. Take it or leave it:

Posted by Terry Foster on Sat, Dec 1, 2007 at 2:12 PM

A Done Deal Dies

The news that Les Miles is remaining with LSU is shocking to everybody, even some of his closest friends.

I was on the phone with one of Miles' boys Saturday morning and he was telling me some of the names Miles was bringing to Michigan. He sounded excited as ESPN reported this to be a done deal. The details were exciting and it sounded like Michigan was breaking the mode of Bo Schembechler and Lloyd Carr and doing something that would make this an elite program again.

We hung up and he called me back 15 minutes later and said there has been a major snag. LSU had sweetened the offer and he said that Miles had second thoughts. Money was the major factor but there was something else Miles got a bad vibe about.

He knew he was coming to enemy territory. He feared that he would never be embraced by Carr and that he'd be fighting that the entire time he was here. Miles wanted to retain some of the Michigan assistants because he respects their ability. However, he feared that he could not. They were loyal to Carr and he feared divisions within the program before he even got started.

Michigan was offering good money. It did not match the $3 million he will get at LSU but the Wolverines were willing to go as high as $2.4 million to lure him.

When you heard this was a done deal, trust me it was. But a man is allowed to rethink things and change his mind. Even Miles' closest friends were paving the way for him get relearn the community.

In fact a private meeting between me and Miles was being set up after he got to town. That is how close this thing was.

Now Michigan must start from scratch. Let's see how Blue recovers from this shocker.

I can be reached at Terry.Foster@detnews.com or 313-222-1494.

You knew money would be a huge factor in his decision, as it almost always is.  I'm sure there is a big part of him that would love to come back to Michigan, but he knew it would be a huge uphill battle to gain the confidence of the University, the players, and the many fans.  I am sure that money just gave him good reason to stay where he is currently rather than taking on the monumental task ahead of him at Michigan.  I dont blame him one bit for staying put, but I dont blame anyone for cursing him for not coming home to Michigan either.  I dont think this is a said and done deal at this point, there is assuredly more string-pulling and number crunching to come from the maize an blue.

It is written by a blog writer who gives me the impression he don't know what he speaks about.

How in the world does he say, "break the mold with Bo and Carr" and bring Michigan back to the Elite status"  

I don't know where this guy thinks he knows Michigan football.     You could say Carr has let Michigan traditions down, but to say Bo didn't leave Michigan with an Elite program is hog wash.

Just that statement alone, tells me its Blog and I wouldn't care if he spoke with Miles personally.   I have lots of respect for Bo Schembechler and and Michigan.

Maybe, just maybe, Les didn't want to be seen like Saban has been portrayed over the last year and the way he conducted business.

Can you blame or fault Les for wanting to coach at Michigan were he went to college?      

Les Miles didn't report he was interested, the media was driving the story as they always do.       Common sense shows us everyday how the media drives a story.

Just like in the blog writer that is black writer that came out and said it was Black KKK that murdered Sean Taylor of the Skins.      Turned out to be media driven that had no relationship to the case thus far.

I still say, he is writting from personal opinion and no fact because of his statement about Bo.    That is opinion and has not ounce of merit.  

Just my opinion of an article written by a blog writter.

     

Nalex,

I was sure Miles was going home to Michigan.

My friends were also sold on Miles leaving and we were looking for either Spurrier or Del Rio to be our new head coach.

We were all surprised when he said he would stay at LSU.

I think it is the best move for him and his family now.

And the funny part about this entier situation is that if LSU is lucky enough to be selected to play in the BCS Championship game Miles will coach against Ohio State.

Ohio State is 1-0-1 against the Fighting Tigers so to us LSU people it is very important that we win this game as we should be 2-0 aginst the Buckeyes but due to some "funny" officiating LSU lost one game and tied the other.

Man, is college football fun or what?

Hey Matt,

I thought the guy is with a newspaper in Detriot.

You have his e-mail address and phone number in the post so contact him.

I was very surprised Miles did not go home.

There is more to the story than is being told.

But, so it goes.

Sam,    He is, but he also writes a Blog.    I would like to think Miles did consider it, and weighed the decision out .    I think timing is bad as always, but when are coaches normally let go.  At the end of the season before the Bowl games.     I would hope that what he displayed was some integrity.  

   You can't blame Michigan if they indeed did want Miles, or fault Miles for considering the job.      I think Les Miles is one of the top coaches and has a top program in the nation as they were just selected to play the BCS title game.    I was sad to see him leave the Big XII, Too bad T Bone Pickens didn't give all that money to Okla St Univ. before Miles left.   Miles had beaten OU twice in three years with his recruits.    Bright future in big program!!!    

       

This is what I heard from my NOLA sources.

Miles did want to go to Michigan and was ready to leave LSU when a number of things occurred fast.

First, Michigan did not want to pay LSU the $1.5 million payout.

Second, LSU sweetned the pot with more money than Michigan was ready to pay.

With that said, the intangibles came into play.

There are a number of people in Michigan who did not want Miles for whatever reasons.

Couple this to the fact that LSU loves Miles and Miles rules the state of Louisiana for high school talent and he would be starting over in Michigan with recruiting the reasons to stay at LSU started to pile up.

With Michigan's arrogrance and LSU's down home spirit Miles thought it best to stay at LSU.

The best medicine Miles can give Michigan is to beat Ohio State.  If that does occur, the reprucussions throughout the Michigan administration and athletic offices will be felt across the country.

With Pelini in Nebraska we are wondering who will take over the defense.  It can't be anyone worse than Bo. Either his defenses are too difficult to understand (aka NFL and former LSU Coach Arnsbarger who had the Tigers wondering which way to go on each play) or the LSU guys are just too agressive and do things on their own.

Plus the fact that Flynn has a torn rotator cuff leaving Perrillioux as the QB.

Should be fun. At least the BCS and the media will get the attention they are craving.

Sorry about Mizzou. They deserved the Orange Bowl bid.

Ok this is from my sources at LSU

Lloyd Carr still has strong influence at Michigan and there is bad blood between Carr & Miles.

Skip Berman offered Miles a raise of 2.85 million if he beats Tennessee & stays at LSU

If Miles did leave LSU was prepared to make an offer to Bill Cowher who has stated he has no wishes to return to the Pros but would like to coach college.

As far defense coordinator

1. Jon Tenuta - Ga. Tech, defensive coordinator

2. Will Muschamp - Auburn, defensive coordinator

3. Brian VanGorder - Atlanta Falcons, linebackers coach

4. Reggie Herring Arkansas; interim head coach (defensive coordinator this season)

5. Tyrone Nix - South Carolina, defensive coordinator

6. Karl Dunbar - Minnesota Vikings, defensive line coach

7. Doug Mallory - LSU, secondary coach