LSU Football Coach Les Miles' Future
2007 Tiger Season Could Be a Dream That Ends In Another Nightmare
Sep 11, 2007
Will Les Miles guide his LSU Tigers to the 2007 national football championship and then leave to coach his alma mater, Michigan? That scenario was painted on national television September 8 when Michigan lost its second straight game and second-ranked LSU mauled No. 9 Virginia Tech.
For LSU fans it sounded like deja vu all over again.
Paul Dietzel Won First LSU Football Championship
In 1958 Paul Dietzel guided LSU to an 11-0 season and the national championship. He was named coach of the year. Three years later he had a 10-1 season. Then, after vowing everlasting love for LSU, he ditched the four remaining years on his contract and took off for West Point.
He had apparently also fallen in love with West Point, where he earlier served as assistant to Army’s legendary Earl Blaik. He became Army’s first civilian coach for $18,500, the same salary he had at LSU. West Point did throw in a house and discounts at the Army PX.
"I never considered going anywhere else because I thought LSU was the best coaching job in America," Dietzel said later. "I loved the LSU fans. But he became the coach that LSU fans loved to hate through most of the 20th Century.
Nick Saban Won Second LSU Title
In 2003 Nick Saban coached the Tigers to a 13-1 record and a national championship and was named coach of the year. He followed that in 2004 with a 9-3 record. Then, after professing eternal love for LSU, he moved to Miami to coach the Dolphins in the National Football League. In 2007 he moved again to coach LSU archival Alabama.
Saban became the 21st Century coach that LSU fans love to hate.
Miles replaced Saban and guided LSU to 11-2 records in 2005 and 2006, finishing fifth and third in the nation. In 2007 his Tigers were ranked second in pre-season polls and opened the year with impressive wins over Mississippi State and Virginia Tech.
Then the Michigan rumors popped up and suddenly 2007 looked like a dream season that could turn into a season-long nightmare for Tiger fans.
Angry Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr
The rumors only grew stronger when Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr reacted angrily to questions after his Wolverine losses to Appalachian State and Oregon. Nothing, he said, "can keep me down," not even losing his job. That statement put the job issue right on the table where his critics wanted it.
From then on there wasn’t much that LSU, Michigan or Miles could say to diffuse the issue, or that many people would believe.
Miles makes $1.7 million per year (almost 100 times what Dietzel made) and his contract runs through 2010. It carries a $1.25 million penalty if he leaves for Michigan, but that’s small potatoes in the multi-million dollar Saban and Steve Spurrier contract era.
Leave Me Alone
Previous statements by Dietzel and Saban certainly cast suspicions on anything Miles might say. He did try to bury the subject, at least temporarily, saying he had not been contacted and had sent out the word to "leave me alone." He added that he didn’t want to say anything to detract "this team,"
His words were "I’m about this football team," which folks interpreted as his 2007 team.
LSU fans were quick to note he said nothing about future teams, at LSU or elsewhere.
Coach contracts, they know, are born to be broken.
Peter Finney, the dean of Louisiana sports writers, heard it all before. He even offered Miles some Dietzel/Saban-type comments to recycle until decision time in January 2008. Examples:
- "I'm completely happy with the job I have."
- "I'll never leave LSU."
