College Football Coaches as Star Wars Characters

Nov 27, 2014; College Station, TX, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles on the sideline during the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Les Miles: Qui-Gon Jinn

Qui-Gon Jinn was a great Jedi warrior in the galaxy who openly defied the Jedi code. Les Miles is a great coach in the realm of college football who openly defies conventional wisdom in the sport.

The Jedi forbade love. Qui-Gon got married. Coaches don’t go for it on fourth-down. Miles will go for it on fourth down five times in a game if he has to.

But that works both ways. Miles can be reckless enough to lose games he should have won easily. Qui-Gon was reckless enough to trust his own instincts and find “The Chosen One,” who may have fulfilled his duties but not without the brutal destruction of the Galactic Republic and the entire Jedi Order.

We are talking, of course, of Qui-Gon’s fatal decision for the galaxy to bring Anakin Skywalker into the fold, not foreseeing that he would catastrophically become Darth Vader. Talk about living in infamy!

Still, Qui-Gon’s lack of conventional style allowed him, even in death, to show a level of intelligence above that of any other Jedi. He managed to come back as a Force Ghost and taught Yoda how to do it. Miles likely showed Meyer a thing or two about taking risks in games.

But let’s get to his Jedi Tree.

Next: Jimbo Fisher: Anakin Skywalker