Les Miles Doesn’t Deserve Another Big Time Head Coaching Job
Sorry, Les Miles, but you shouldn’t get another chance to coach a top-tier program.
Immediately after his firing last month, there was rampant speculation about where Les Miles would catch on next and if he would get a chance at a big time university.
Well, Les Miles does not deserve a chance to coach at an elite program. There is a national love affair with Les because he is so very likable. He’s funny when he’s eating the grass, pulling wins out of thin air and charming people with that unique personality of his that has him coined as the Mad Hatter. However, that doesn’t qualify him to jump right back into it.
Already by people in the media all over the industry there has been speculation about potential openings at the University of Texas and even USC if they decide to give up on Clay Helton after one season.
It’s simple with Miles. He wasn’t able to find next level success at LSU with an embarrassment of riches and talent at his disposal. You could simply look at LSU’s 2014 NFL Draft class and wonder how the heck the Tigers didn’t win a national title that season.
They led the nation with nine draft picks that season. Among the selections were Pro Bowl wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr, who would be one of the best NFL combos if they were on the same team, so imagine how dynamic they were together in college. They also had Zach Mettenberger and although he hasn’t panned out in the pros, he was probably LSU’s best quarterback since JaMarcus Russell.
That LSU team also had Jeremy Hill and Alfred Blue drafted, two running backs that have found various levels of success in the NFL thus far. That was an offense filled with talent. To go with that they obviously had your typical solid LSU defense.
They finished that season 10-3 with losses to Georgia, Ole Miss and a 38-17 lackluster against rival Alabama. Three losses with all that talent, 2013-2014 certainly highlights Les Miles’ failures to hit that next level of success, he was never able to do what Saban has done.
The talent differences between Alabama and LSU are minuscule. However, on the field, Saban blows Miles away. Saban adapted to college football’s changing times and brought in Lane Kiffin to introduce some spread offense to Alabama while also continuing to pound the rock. Miles just seemed unwilling to adapt at LSU leading to horrendous offensive (particularly QB) play.
Miles produced 13 first round draft picks in his tenure at LSU and that number should rise after this upcoming draft. Also in back to back drafts, that 2014 draft and in 2013, LSU had 18 total players drafted. Nine in each.
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With all the talent he had, he walked away winning only one national title in 2007 and making it to only one other title game which they lost to Alabama in 2011. It can be argued that that 2007 team (his third with the team) came with some of the players Saban brought in before he left LSU.
It was the recent history that really destroyed Miles. They had at least three conference losses in each of his last three full seasons, including a 4-4 mark in 2014, which saw them go 8-5 overall. Things just became stale with Miles and LSU.
It all comes down to this simple fact. Miles had endless talent at LSU and he couldn’t get the job done. What makes you think that will be different at USC and Texas? He couldn’t win at LSU so how is he supposed to win at those jobs when they have actually taken a step down of late? The expectations vs reality at those schools are far apart right now. Miles needs to take a lower level job at somewhere like Kentucky, Purdue or even Vanderbilt if those jobs open up.
He does not deserve a job at a flagship program. Not yet anyway.