January 10th, 2011 at 8:43 PM ^
Why would Brandon come home rather than go to Dallas? Could this finally be it? Could Les Miles be aboard AirPIzza1?
January 10th, 2011 at 9:05 PM ^
@MichaelLKelly Michael Kelly
January 10th, 2011 at 9:11 PM ^
January 10th, 2011 at 9:53 PM ^
January 10th, 2011 at 10:07 PM ^
January 10th, 2011 at 10:17 PM ^
Miles meets with Michigan AD in Baton Rouge
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB/AP) - LSU head coach Les Miles has met with the University of Michigan's athletic director about the coaching job there.
9 Sports has learned that Miles and UM's Dave Brandon met Monday evening at Miles' field house condo off Nicholson Drive.
Brandon and two other Michigan representatives left the meeting and were taken to Baton Rouge Metro Airport in a Cadillac Escalade, where they were seen boarding Brandon's Domino's Pizza plane at 7:40 p.m. The plane left moments later.
The jet, on loan to Brandon, landed in Baton Rouge Monday afternoon fueling speculation that he was on his way to a meeting with Miles.
Miles said at noon Monday that no one from Michigan had yet contacted him directly and he did not know when such a meeting with his alma mater might take place.
He made the comments immediately following the news conference in which junior cornerback Patrick Peterson announced he will enter the NFL Draft. Miles stated he met with LSU underclassmen Monday morning and told them he expects to remain the coach at LSU.
"I am extremely happy here," Miles added.
When asked earlier about Michigan's opening, Miles has only said he loves being the coach of LSU. He has not yet promised to return next season, although his current players have said he has given them the impression he plans to be back.
Of course, Miles is a "Michigan Man." He was an offensive lineman for the Wolverines during college and twice served as an assistant coach during the 80s and 90s. He is widely considered a top candidate to fill the head coaching vacancy at Michigan.
A former LSU athletic director said he doesn't think Miles would take the job with Michigan. He has four kids and is already making close to $4 million.
His LSU contract pays him $3.75 million per year, runs through 2014 and includes an annual one-year roll-over at the discretion of the athletic director that could extend the deal to 2015.
The contract also would make him among the three highest-paid college coaches should he win a second national title at LSU. Miles is 62-17 with a national championship in six years at LSU.
Rich Rodriguez last week was fired as Michigan coach with a 15-22 mark in three seasons.
January 11th, 2011 at 12:28 AM ^
We have the pizza jet back in AA but did the UM plane leave BR???
January 10th, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
January 10th, 2011 at 9:18 PM ^
As long as a signed contract went back with him, I'm not too concerned with whether Les was on it.
January 10th, 2011 at 9:46 PM ^
Exactly. Les is speaking (interviewing coordinators) in Dallas tomorrow (maybe). Note how the plane avoids Ohio airspace.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:01 PM ^
that is epic, it blatently avoids ohio airspace!
January 10th, 2011 at 10:10 PM ^
Is it wrong that I see that as being a message that we have a new coach and Brandon is making a point? Or I have just crossed the line between paranoid and let's shoot up an Arizona safeway when a congresswoman is speaking?
January 10th, 2011 at 10:20 PM ^
/Looks at calendar, sees that it isn't 2014 yet.
Yep. WAY too soon.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:22 PM ^
Yeah, and I knew it even as I posted it. My bad. Apologies.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:40 PM ^
When a situation is that effed up, sometimes all you can do is try to laugh. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:22 PM ^
Way too soon and in poor taste. Consider yourself fortunate that there is no negbomb available or I'm sure you'd be toast.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:35 PM ^
Brandon had to know that people would deploy flight tracker to good effect on the internets. This is a big FU to Ohio.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:49 PM ^
not funny at all
Edit: Beat to it
January 10th, 2011 at 11:02 PM ^
Really poor form.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:40 PM ^
I'm apparently not the only one who is so far down the rabbit-hole that the idea of such a subtle signal seems to make some kind of dimented sense...
January 10th, 2011 at 10:22 PM ^
Those idiots would probably try shooting it down with burning couches flung from catapults or potato guns.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:15 PM ^
not all of us are idiots, just the classless tOSU fans. don't lump us all together merely b/c we live w/in the same political boundary!
January 10th, 2011 at 10:20 PM ^
What is with all the excitement? I realize no one wants Hoke, but has everyone forgotten about Patterson and Gruden? RR should NOT have been fired in order to bring in Les Miles (even if he's not the absolute worst alternative).
If it is LM, this confirms that Brandon had NO plan going into this.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:25 PM ^
Who cares? I just want a coach. I was in RR's corner the whole way as well but that does not mean I get to be a dick about who the next coach is that we hire. I just want to see us get back to winning and beating OSU again. Who ever DB announces has my support and hope he has yours too. We can't miss this time and the entire Michigan fan base and administration need to pull together. GO BLUE or GO HOME
January 10th, 2011 at 10:28 PM ^
I concur with Dennis. Miles isn't my favourite candidate but it's about to be January 11th and we have no coach, which is inexcusable IMO. And considering there's not really anything to support that Patterson or Gruden are realistic candidates, I'll welcome Miles as the new HC if it is the case.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:35 PM ^
So did the OTL segment have no impact on your feelings about LM?
January 10th, 2011 at 10:38 PM ^
I'm not a fan of Miles. I've said that all along. But the writing's on the wall that he's coming and there hasn't been anything to suggest that any better candidates have been offered/want the job.
And between Miles and Hoke, I'd take Miles in a second, recruiting issues or not.
January 11th, 2011 at 12:28 AM ^
Let it die. Success just wasn't going to happen here for RR. The man was snakebitten and couldn't control the damage.
January 10th, 2011 at 9:16 PM ^
....if he got a "Yes" from Les, when you connect that to the player meeting tomorrow.
Why come back to tell the team you haven't found a coach yet? And why come back when all the coaches are in Dallas if you don't have a coach yet?
January 10th, 2011 at 9:21 PM ^
I guess you could think that he went down to Baton Rouge to pay his respects to Les Miles and is heading back to Ann arbor to introduce the coach to the players tomorrow. Someone who might have flown in from San Diego.
January 10th, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
Just posing an alternate theory. Devil's advocate and all that but not one I want to believe.
January 11th, 2011 at 1:03 AM ^
Someone from Ft. Worth?
January 10th, 2011 at 10:19 PM ^
Maybe because the coach he wants to interview next is in Glendale, AZ and is busy tonight?
January 11th, 2011 at 1:55 AM ^
The more likely scneario is that they ran into some major hurdle during the final negotiation and Brandon has to get back to A2 to discuss things with his boss.
If this was a done deal, there would be leaks all over the place by now.
January 11th, 2011 at 2:53 AM ^
May be DB had to come back to get Mary Sue's approval. It will be interesting to see if the Michigan jet heads out tomorrow to unknown destinations!
January 10th, 2011 at 10:27 PM ^
Before people get carried away remember Brandon's words "it is an honor to represent Michigan and discuss our football program's needs and opportunities with a variety of impressive candidates and/or people who can offer valuable advice and input."
He may just be seeking counsel from Miles.
January 10th, 2011 at 8:49 PM ^
Please let that mean that we signed Miles up. The alternative bears no contemplation and my liver's hurting from this week already...
Pouring another scotch as I speak....What's a little cirrhosis anyway...
January 10th, 2011 at 9:59 PM ^
January 10th, 2011 at 10:35 PM ^
It's evil and must be punished
January 10th, 2011 at 11:43 PM ^
as for me, I'm out of Scapa, so Glenlivet it is...
January 10th, 2011 at 8:44 PM ^
unbelievable
January 10th, 2011 at 8:45 PM ^
Anybody staking out at Willow Run tonight?
January 10th, 2011 at 8:45 PM ^
Wheeee. This is fun.
January 10th, 2011 at 8:45 PM ^
please please please let us have a coach!
everyone freak out now.
January 10th, 2011 at 8:45 PM ^
January 10th, 2011 at 9:12 PM ^
Wasnt it stated that Les Miles is giving a speech in Dallas tomorrow at the coaches convention? If it's a done deal he's flying to Ann Arbor tomorrow after his prior engagement in Dallas. Announcement would come Wednesday @ 1230 presser...
January 10th, 2011 at 8:45 PM ^
Brandon forgot his toothbrush. He will be heading out to San Diego once he picks it up.