More useless conjecture about the future of the program/ Les Miles
I wasn't sure what to name this thread or if I even should post it but I wanted to humbly throw some ideas out there that will hopefully create some good dialogue. Of course I'd like to open by saying this year isn't over yet and I haven't completely given up on Coach Rod. We still have a solid opportunity to beat Purdue (they are so depleted on offense) and could pull out an upset this week at home in a shootout..Illinois is riding high but isn't nearly as good as our previous home opponents Iowa/ MSU right now (in any facet). JMHO
Being in Ann Arbor is an advantage so anything is possible. If we hit 7-5 then we actually still reach reasonable pre-season expectations. So there's that...
Now, with regard to the future if we do lose out or change coaches anyway for whatever reason, I personally wouldn't want Jim Harbaugh to be the first guy we go to. Hell I'm not sure he is my second choice. I'm sure he is a trendy pick right now but so was RR in 2007.
Do we need a Michigan man? IDK...would it help to have one? Most definitely. It would be great to have a guy who played here, understands the Big Ten and learned from Bo first hand. It would also be great to not hear bitching about not having a"Michigan Man" for three more years. Nonetheless, Harbaugh is not my guy and I don't think he should be yours.
The one name that should be on the top of the list, and isn't being mentioned as much as it should be is Coach Les Miles. Consider/reconsider his resume for a moment. He has long standing ties to MIchigan. He is 58-15 at LSU with a good chance to finish strong this season. "Damn strong"! He won a national title, & no matter how you slice it he still won. When you think about how consistently good LSU has been in the best conference in the country it's quite impressive. LSU is also in the SEC West which is even tougher.
Miles seems to gain his success with really good defenses and by recruiting the best skill available and adapting to their skill set. One can criticize his gambling tendency on the field..but more often than not he gets it done. You could also criticize their offense, however their OC at LSU is Gary Crowton, which of course you should remember from the 2006 Oregon Ducks. Crowton has experience with Dennis Dixon and the spread/zone-read stuff which would really be a nice transition for us.
All in all, the resume, familiarity with high expectations and tough competition, great support staff and recruiting connections to the south make Miles a fantastic candidate for our program. The transition would be smooth and he has proven more than Harbaugh at this point...both are Michigan guys.
I'm rootin' for Michigan and for Rich Rod, but if we decide to make a change and LSU fans are sick of Miles I say bring him on. I'd be more than happy to have him!
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:49 AM ^
I think part of the disappointment is the three B10 losses were given away. Especially Iowa. So when we look back at April and were hoping for 7-5, and are panicking now at 5-3, it's not the record per se that a lot of us are fussing about but the manner in which Michigan lost three otherwise very winnable games.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:10 PM ^
The only very winnable game of the bunch was PSU and that was in Happy Valley at night. I agree the last three games have been terrible. Our defense is getting worse (probably due to injury and competition, not personnel, although they for sure aren't getting better). Our offense is not executing at a high level (the fact that they still get so many yards and points does not change the fact that they could do more) and our special teams are shitty.
But MSU was not a very winnable game. Before the season it was a tossup and after watching them beat a tough Wisconsin team I felt we were significant underdogs despite what the odds makers thought.
Iowa came in after losing to Wisconsin and already had a loss to Arizona before that but preseason they were the team other than OSU that we were most likely to lose to according to most on this board. They are a very good team with a good defense.
PSU was a disaster and that is why everyone is depressed right now. But we all knew that we were fucked if Mike Martin went down.
If we win two more games or beat OSU, I will be (grudginly) satisfied and hopefull for a much better campaign next year.
November 2nd, 2010 at 6:53 PM ^
I guess we will agree to disagree then. The Iowa game, Michigan allowed the least yards to the best offense of the three. In the Moo U. game, get those silly interceptions and penalties back and that game is winnable. Michigan moved the ball well enough to win all three. The defense did not reciprocate however.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:06 AM ^
Bring him on down as an assistant. But dear lordy lord he ain't coachin'!!
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:06 AM ^
win, We have serious road rage here in California but I imagine it is worse in Mich right now, I bet guys in blue cars are smashing right into the a-holes in the green cars. RR should have one more year the AD should come out and say it, unless RR gets caught in a crime (drunk driving or road rage) then he is here till at least December 2011. One of the brilliant chart guys on this site has probably already done a chart showing we have to have one of the youngets defenses in the nation, we are probably the youngest and close to the worse. They will get better as they get older, the offense is on top after 2 years and next year the D will be competant.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:12 PM ^
One scenario where I think Rodriguez has to go is if we lose the rest of our games. I think the only way that happens is if the team quits on him. If they do there is no hope for the future and its time to make a change. Baring that, I really want him to stay.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:07 AM ^
The only way I want Les Miles affiliated with the program is if it involves the D. If LSU falls off a cliff the rest of the year and Miles is fired, if we could somehow bring him in as DC or whoever his current DC is as our DC, I'd be for it. That D is always good and has to deal with an awful offense every year.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:11 AM ^
Jack Nicholson posted below. I identify with it completely.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:12 AM ^
No. Good god, no. (I think the reasons why are all pretty much covered above, but in short: Les Miles has an unbelievable ability to fall ass-backwards into victories rather than run a legit program and won the NC with someone's players.)
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:23 AM ^
thats some funny shit. If I could +1 you i would.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:14 AM ^
As part of a home-and-home with LSU so we can beat his ass twice.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:29 AM ^
You do realize that we're currently fielding the only defense that cannot stop that offense right?
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:14 AM ^
I'm assuming that you haven't watched a minute of LSU football this year. Their offense is beyond terrible, and it's not just because they're playing in the SEC.
Meanwhile, Les Miles has more balls than brains. The past couple of years he made terrible calls late in games. Remember when he had Jefferson spike the ball, then tried to deny that he made the call? Remember the Tennessee game this year?
Now, he and Crowton somehow managed to turn every highly rated QB that comes into his system into crap. Russell was a Saban recruit/player. Perriloux couldn't stay out of trouble and is out of football forever. Jordan Jefferson can't throw, Lee is a mediocre passer at best, and 5* QB Russell Shepard is now a WR. Apparently they couldn't be bothered to develop him into a QB.
And as the cherry on top of all of that, Crowton has 1 total year of experience on Oregon, he was the OC for a team that had gone 10-2 the previous year, and somehow went 7-6. They scored 8 points in their bowl game. The next year (2007) Chip Kelly came in and lit the world on fire with Dennis Dixon. 3 of his 4 BYU teams sucked pretty hard as well. Crowton must be kept as far away from this program as possible.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:21 AM ^
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:30 AM ^
Les Miles turns 57 years old Nov. 10th. How many coaches have taken over a program at that age and succeeded?
By the time Miles established his program, he'd be ready to retire.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:38 AM ^
As a general rule, you don't want to hire a coach who is disliked by his own fanbase.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:59 AM ^
You'd think GERG would have taught him that lesson.
November 2nd, 2010 at 1:07 AM ^
November 2nd, 2010 at 1:34 AM ^
Les Miles will never be the Head Football Coach at the University of Michigan.
/thread.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:18 AM ^
My choices for head coach are:
1.) Rich Rod
2..) Jim Harbaugh
3.) ?
.
.
n+1.) Less Miles
where n=infinity!
November 2nd, 2010 at 9:38 AM ^
1. Rich Rod. He is our coach.
November 2nd, 2010 at 3:01 AM ^
November 2nd, 2010 at 5:16 AM ^
Now, before I say this, I want to you know that I really like you and have had a LOT of fun over the last 2 and half years. You're a great person. I really respect you and think you're a great girl.
But I'm seeing your sister.
November 2nd, 2010 at 5:17 AM ^
Miles can't manage the clock and apparently his assistants can't either.
His only significant advantage is that he seems to have been exceptionally lucky when he makes his hyperaggressive decisions at the end of games, whether it's going for TDs rather than FGs or faking FGs. That can't last.
November 2nd, 2010 at 6:55 AM ^
...I would love to see Les Miles in Ann Arbor. I would love seeing the implosions at mgb when a "mad hatter" decision costs Les yet another game. I would love seeing the restaurant incident between Moeller and his wife rehashed over and over again because of Miles' speculated involvement with Mrs M. I would love seeing the team look like the Keystone Kops when the clock goes under two minutes. Most of all, though, I would love seeing the program go so far down the shitter that it would take ten years to dig out.
Thankfully, I'm just an overly optimistic Michigan fan who wants to see the program do well, because there is absolutely no way Les Miles will ever coach the maize and blue.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:09 AM ^
So by your standard we should only hire somebody who doesn't have a job right now, because it's impossible for a guy who's coaching at another school right now to take another job and still "be loyal" to the school who's paying him.
That means that Bo was very disloyal to Miami of Ohio. Bastard!
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:15 AM ^
I sort of wish Les Miles on them.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:42 AM ^
enough. stop. if you ever met him, you would understand what a horses ass he is. that may play well in Oklahoma or Louisiana, but he would self destruct here (again).
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:46 AM ^
Doesn't taste great.
November 2nd, 2010 at 10:09 AM ^
I am not sure if I can attribute my sources (I am a university employee so that gets into sketchy areas and I kind of like my job so I would rather not get fired), but I have it on good authority that Dave Brandon really does not like Les Miles as a human being, and that there is no chance he would hire Les Miles even if he did fire Rich Rod. I think Miles' name has crossed all of our minds at some point, but it is not going to happen.
I have heard about this Les Miles/Dave Brandon rift since Brandon was hired, for what it's worth.
November 2nd, 2010 at 10:11 AM ^
on a sideline of a Michigan game as anything other than an LSU HC, I'll stab my eyes out and pledge allegience to Sparty!! I hate that guy!
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:22 PM ^
I can understand stabbing your eyes out but you've taken it to far with the sparty comment. Have a little dignity man.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:18 PM ^
Les Miles would be a disaster. '
My choice for coach next year
1)Rodriguez
2.) Chris Petersen-wanted this guy last time. Still want him now. Think he would be able to use the current offensive personell effectively
3.) Harbaugh-although I think hiring him would blow up the offense again.
November 4th, 2010 at 2:09 AM ^
Why would he be a disaster? I don't particularly like the guy, but aside from managing the clock and giving press conferences, he seems to be very good at most aspects of his job.
November 4th, 2010 at 7:57 AM ^
I support Miles for coach next year, if by Miles you mean RR.