Kansas finalizing deal to hire Les Miles

Will Les Miles in the big 12 bring any defense?  That would be interesting.

"Fail miserably" is the status quo at Kansas, so really they have nothing to lose. Les is getting up there in age though.

I don't think it will work...but it might. Les has that right amount of crazy in him to get his teams inspired to win some games. He had some success at Okie State too, so it's not crazy to think he might get Kansas to a respectable record at some point (respectable meaning 6-6). 

IMO, his success at KU will hinge on who he hires for assistants, and how the offense is managed. He cannot run anything resembling the dinosaur offense he ran at LSU which, despite its talent, was never particularly great...

I think Kansas could do a lot worse.

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Unless they backed a Brinks truck up to his house, I would think Louisville would be a more desirable place to go 

Decided he'd like to go out with a whimper and a nice buyout to make up for what he lost at LSU.  Plan!

Am surprised he couldn't do better. He's a good coach and would have done well here. I also figured at worst he'd be the Dallas Cowboys coach next season. 

Big opportunity for Les to weaken his resume.

Happy for Coach Miles and for Kansas if this happens.  I’ll definitely be rooting for him.  

Les to USC would be the ultimate 

I'm not sure I would want to witness the train wreck that is Les Miles without 4-star talent.

LSU has a way of making What-exactly-does-he-bring-to-the-table? coaches look much better than they really are. 

I think we are a bit myopic on this hiring.

Miles is more than a decade younger than the "other school's" head coach (Bill Snyder is a springy 79!)

I think if he can get some semblance of defense going along with a half reasonable offensive line, he could get up there with Iowa State as the 2nd team Chaos in the B12.

Interesting, a team with good defense could really do some damage in the Big12

Les needs to stop dying his hair, or at least go to a lighter shade.  He looks like one of those men that refuses to age gracefully.

OP - please learn to post links.

His relationship with AD Jeff Long (going back to their Michigan days) is why.  Remember Long tried to hire him at Arkansas and LSU extended him and Les survived only one more season.

I was hoping they'd shake things up and go to a triple option kind of system. We'll see how this shakes out with Miles.

Miles didn't fail at LSU.

He averaged 10 wins per year for a decade in the toughest division in college football.   

Is this reported by Uber driver, counter strike, or Herbstreit....personally I don’t know who’s less reliable 

Does he know kansas plays on field turf? Will he eat the turf? Or the rubber infill?

LOL, good luck Les. Carry on, my wayward son. Remember, all we are is dust in the wind.  

You can tell from his podcast he missed coaching and expected to be a coach again eventually. Why not Kansas, he gets to do what he loves and he's not going to be run off for *gasp* not being able to beat Alabama.

I guess this spells the end of his podcast...it wasn't that great anyway, heh.

This conference is awesome.  About half these coaches are heel-turn, WWF-style villains.

'Lifestyle' Holgorsen, I'm-a-Man-I'm-40 Gundy, Crazy Les, and Hold-Me-Back-Bro Herman in the same conference.  OU and Tech with young coaches still using Mike Leach gameplans, trying to win 52-49.  

Plus two guys that already have statues. (BTW, might want to add a little more concrete to Patterson's midsection.) 

Big 12 will be fun while it lasts!

Don't do it Les!

Thought he might go to Purdue after Brohm leaves for Louisville, but whatever.

Good move by Jeff Long, actually. Miles also brings a lot of attention, and attractive to donors, which will be asked to step up.

Miles and Long know each other, so far less likely to have the kind of friction that dooms so many mediocre football programs. Some people knock Les as being 'old',  but if you do not have an elite history, that's a plus - any success, and he's far less likely to bolt for elsewhere greener pastures (groan) than an 'up and comer'. Miles did well at Ok State, so he knows the recruiting challenges, but his time in LSU also means he has relationships with coaches in the south as well as Texas. Going against the grain with a stronger defense-minded mentality just might work, if they can get some talent, especially on defense and at QB. The big question (besides recruiting) is what kind of assistants Les can hire and hang on to




 

He is familiar with the conference. He coached at Oklahoma State before LSU. I never want him as Michigan’s HC, but football is more fun with him in it.

Jeff Long hired Bielema at Arkansas, and that cost him his job. This hire isn't going to help his resume either.

Jeff Long tweeted he wanted a coach who was a "leader of men". Nice reference.

Would have been cool if Long also said he's looking for a "conquering hero".

Les Miles is a respectable Wolverine. I wish him well.

I think this is a great hire:

1) The Big 12 is all about spread air raid offense and limited defense.  Les will create a program built around defense and running the football.  This wasn't unique in the SEC, but he will have an advantage strictly as an outlier looking at different skill sets.

2) Kansas has nowhere to go but up.  Les brings the spotlight in a positive way.  Their recruiting almost has to get better.

3) Because of the above, Les should get time and I wouldn't be surprised if they peak at Ferentz Iowa levels in a few years.  

I don't even know how this could end up in debacle short of scandal.  I don't think Kansas can get any worse.  The obvious question is why Les would take the job, but no other power 5 school is going to be banging down the door to get him.  I hope he creates more Big 12 chaos and wish him luck.

I kinda like it.  It's the biggest splash Kansas was going to make, and he can sell success and a national championship at LSU.  If he finds a good OC and DC, he can turn that place into a .500 team in a couple of years.  That would be great success at Kansas!  Make a bowl game and he'll retire a hero!!  Especially if he goes into it with coordinators that have their eye set on following him as HC.  Make the team respectable and have a solid successor in place - he'd be remembered in Lawrence for decades.

Great hire

I love it. Go Les. College football needs him.

Les heading back to middle America corn country.  Good luck.  He'll need it there.  But my guess is he'll recruit better than any Kansas coach in recent history.