CC: To Les or Not to Les/Is Les More?
October 26th, 2014 at 9:33 AM ^
Bob Stitt has a career record of 90 and 57 at Colorado School of Mines, a 1 and 2 record in the D-II playoffs and all of two conference championships in 14 years. Dana Holgorsen mentions one play he stole from the man and now he is the most revolutionary offensive mind in college football. If he is so great, why has he been the head coach of a D-II school for 15 years now and no other team hired him as a head coach or OC?
Les Miles is 102 and 26 at LSU with a National Championship and another Championship game appearence in 9 seasons there. If you wan't to question whether Miles is the right fit becasue of his age or the change from what he can recruit and get away with at LSU to Michigan that is fine. But to say that a man with a .612 winning % at a D-II school is a better head coaching candidate for Michigan than a man with a freaking National Championship on his resume is just ridiculous.
I am OK with Michigan taking a chance and hiring someone who can coach a semi-modern offense (OSU's OC for example), but there is no way Michigan should hire the head coach of a small D-II school in Colorado. But saying Les Miles is a better option than Stitt is not arrogance, its common sense.
October 26th, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^
Because we don't want to "take a fucking shot," we don't want an experiment, another potentially wasted 3-5 years, we want a proven successful coach at the FBS level. Which is exactly what Les Miles is, whether you like it or not.
October 26th, 2014 at 12:14 PM ^
Because we can't afford to miss again, even a little bit.
October 26th, 2014 at 8:36 AM ^
over one who has won a national title at the FBS level?
October 26th, 2014 at 8:41 AM ^
Stitt's got an interesting resume, but it's entirely at the small-college level. There's another HC in Colorado who was an assistant at MSU for three seasons, and then Saban's OC at Alabama from 2008-2011 during which they went 48-6, winning two NCs.
The main drawback against him is his lack of extensive time in the midwest.
October 26th, 2014 at 8:45 AM ^
I'd also be good with Jim McElwain. He'd be a much better choice than Les Miles.
October 26th, 2014 at 8:57 AM ^
I also think we'd have a better chance of getting McElwain. CSU to Michigan is definitely a step up in every way, with exception of scenery.
Focusing completely on football, LSU/SEC to Michigan/Big Ten is not a step up. The only reason Miles would give up his spot would be his ties to Michigan, and I don't really give a shit about somebody's ties to Michigan at this point.
October 26th, 2014 at 11:10 AM ^
of something around $7 mil?
October 26th, 2014 at 11:59 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 9:10 AM ^
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October 26th, 2014 at 8:26 AM ^
EDIT: Double post because everything is terrible.
October 26th, 2014 at 8:37 AM ^
Of this morass should begin with an AD of high repute nationally who can attract and secure those who would otherwise not care to endure what recent coaches have been subjected to.
October 26th, 2014 at 9:19 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 8:40 AM ^
Les is not the best choice, but he's a better one than a lot of the names thrown out. I strongly (but respectfully) disagree with Brian with every inch of me that Michigan should "go hire a young smart coordinator." Ask Florida fans right now how well that works out.
Michigan is too big a job to be someone's first head coaching job. The worst possible scenario for this coaching change is Michigan botching it for the 3rd straight time. You cannot follow a gamble like Hoke with yet another gamble that Scott Frost won't self combust like Kliff Kingsbury is currently doing in Texas Tech or gamble that Scott Frost isn't just riding Mariota to percived competence. Take the guy with a track record.
If the Harbaugh homerun doesn't happen and Dan Mullen says no, that's probably going to mean Les Miles. And that's fine.
October 26th, 2014 at 8:47 AM ^
I agree with this.
Our problem is not so much our coordinators, it's that our Head Coach does not know how to be a head coach.
We need somebody who is a successful Head Coach.
October 26th, 2014 at 8:58 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^
Don't forget about s&c, running backs, tight ends, and cornerbacks.
October 26th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
And WR's, and QB's. Oh, and DB's.
October 26th, 2014 at 1:28 PM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 8:57 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 9:02 AM ^
His pick to click in 2008 as Carr's replacement, Jeff Tedford, is languishing in Tampa Bay. I'll bet he'd be available for a gig in Ann Arbor.
October 26th, 2014 at 9:35 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^
If not for his age I think he'd be the most attractive candidate, or a close tie with Harbaugh. One national title, had a chance to win another, and this year is a bit of his crowning acheivement frankly. He's taken a very young team a lot of SEC folks thought would be 6-6/8-4 ish and has coached them up over the course of the season. Every game they've gotten better, and now they're looking like a team that could, with a little luck, win the SEC West and give them a chance at the playoff.
His teams play well, and they get better as the year goes on. I don't really care if his quarterbacks put up gaudy stats when he can take any ol' group of linemen and some freshman running backs and run all over the best defense in the country.
October 26th, 2014 at 11:12 AM ^
There are only two coaches with Michigan ties worth considering. Jim Harbaugh or Les Miles!
October 26th, 2014 at 8:41 AM ^
As someone who lives in the middle of SEC land, a few observations on Miles:
1. He is the head coach of the only major college program in perhaps the most talent rich state in the country per capita. His talent is second only to Alabama (since Saban). Michigan recruits nationally, but we do not have that built in local advantage.
2. His defensive teams are consistently top notch. His offensive teams are 100% manball and rarely approach the output of his defenses.
3. He cuts players and withdraws scholarships from kids who have accepted them. You can make the case that you have to do that to compete with Saban. To me, it is a disqualifier. Neg bomb away.
4. He is batshit crazy. Unlike #3, it's not a judgment, he is just a goofy dude. The old school "cultural" stuff that was so hard on RR would come into play, even if he played for Bo.
5. Age is a real factor. I would much prefer to go younger.
6. His won lost record speaks for itself. I don't like him, but I respect his long term results in the brutal SEC West. And instead of talking about being tough, his teams are tough.
I don't want him as our coach because, perhaps naively, I don't want a coach who doesn't put the players first. However, there are "pros" that some one see as offsetting the cons. To me though, the cons win.
October 26th, 2014 at 10:56 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 11:07 AM ^
Keil was a big flake. He committed everywhere and then backed out everywhere! Weird kid!
October 26th, 2014 at 11:27 AM ^
Les Miles has the energy and passion of a 40 year old. He is not too old. I will gladly take 7-8 years of Miles as opposed to taking a flier on a guy who coaches DII. You guys who think Miles is not the answer crack me up. Look at this guy's resume. I get that he has a lot more talent on his teams, but he also faces much stiffer competition. Michigan has a talented roster in a pretty weak conference. Miles will coach these guys up and probably would win at least 9 games next year with our schedule.
He's not my first choice, but I certainly would not be disappointed if he was the next Michigan football coach.
Love him or hate him, he is a winner.
October 26th, 2014 at 1:59 PM ^
We may crack you up, but we are not wrong about his SEC-centric morality with respect to recruiting. If Michigan is okay with that, then my major objection to him is moot. It is certainly considered okay in the part of the country in which I live.
October 26th, 2014 at 12:06 PM ^
5. Age is a real factor. I would much prefer to go younger.Do you actually see him slowing down right now? Or are you just spooked by the "age 60" on his profile? To me, he seems young for his age - much younger than Lloyd at the same age. As for the over signing, I think it would be made clear to him that it wouldn't fly here and I don't even think it'd be necessary. This is the B1G - the competition is much weaker.
October 26th, 2014 at 1:55 PM ^
Fair comment. I believe that a lot of successful college coaches tend to slow down with respect to recruiting after a point. There are obvious exceptions including both Miles and Saban up to now. I could be wrong about this one. I don't consider Miles at all strong on X's and O's and believe more by the book recruiting expectations will limit him compared to his LSU history.
October 26th, 2014 at 8:41 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 8:51 AM ^
After watching the LSU game last night, why would Miles even want to come here? He has such a great thing going down there. It's a perfect fit: He has walls of NFL talent, he's in the premire CFB spotlight, and most importantly . . . they let Les be Les.
He's weird, they're weird, it all works out. We'd clip his wings up here with our haughty attitudes. Down there he can be himself and they love him for it.
October 26th, 2014 at 9:00 AM ^
He just beat the #3 team in the country. As long as he can win games like that once in a while, and beat Alabama once in a while, he's secure until he finally hangs it up.
Also, did you hear his postgame on the field interview? His eyes were intense, and by God if he didn't sound like Bo in his intonation and speech. That was a man who was channeling his mentor.
My opinion is that the only way either Harbaugh or Les comes here is if they feel that it's their civic duty to get Michigan out of this disaster. Otherwise, we'll have to pull an outsider, no matter where he comes from. I just hope we're a little more accepting this time than we were with Rich.
October 26th, 2014 at 9:07 AM ^
I'm sad to say I think you're right. I would love to have him here, but I would hate for him to have to curb his weirdness to please the various factions here.
October 26th, 2014 at 11:02 AM ^
I agree with you as well. I would love to have Les here, but the culture here would find a reason to sabbotage him at every turn. Our program is mired in a losing mentality now. The next coach needs to be bigger than it all. We all know Jim Harbaugh is that guy. The question is can we get him and would he come?
October 26th, 2014 at 12:10 PM ^
If the "culture" challenges Les, he'll quote Bo all day long and give us all riveting anecdotes of being a Michigan player in the 1970s. That's something Rich Rod couldn't do.
October 26th, 2014 at 12:23 PM ^
Could only upvote once.
October 26th, 2014 at 8:50 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 8:53 AM ^
I may have thought this two weeks ago, but not anymore.
Everything that needs to be proven out has been proven out. Even to Brandon's blind eyes.
October 26th, 2014 at 9:06 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 1:57 PM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 9:26 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 8:51 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 8:55 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 9:06 AM ^
October 26th, 2014 at 9:07 AM ^
I don't someone with his questionable ethics should be the U fo M head coach.
October 26th, 2014 at 9:12 AM ^
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October 26th, 2014 at 12:14 PM ^
But the fact that he already did it shows that he has no regard for the best interests of his players.