Multiple national reports Monday confirmed The Advocate’s report last week that Miles was coaching for his job in the last two games against Ole Miss and A&M and that his tenure at the school was in jeopardy of ending. However, following the game, LSU athletic director Joe Alleva announced that Miles would remain head coach of the Tigers.
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“I just want you to know something, I love coaching football”, Miles said.
If Les Miles loses his job after Saturday’s game, it’s not the fault of LSU fans. “We have talked about this program, and we are committed together to work and compete at the highest level”.
And let’s not even go into the conversation brought up every time by Miles’ biggest detractors, who point to the fact that Miles won his lone National Championship following the 2007 season, with a roster stocked full of Nick Saban’s recruits before Saban left LSU for his failed 2-year stint in the NFL as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
If Miles wants to see his current contract through to its 2019 expiration, LSU likely will have to be better than it was this season.
Asked what it felt like to be carried off the field – especially not knowing his fate – Miles said, “Scary”.
There was the emotional Miles lovefest on his Wednesday call-in show, with children and adults alike shedding tears over the possibility this would be it for their popular coach. “As he moves forward, we are with him 100 percent here at Arkansas”.
“He’s a great player”, defensive lineman Miles Garrett said.
“I never thought it was valid to be questioning him as a head coach”, Alexander said.
Here’s to a great week, although it will be a weekend without LSU football.
All that preceded Alleva’s stunning announcement, which is sure to delight LSU faithful everywhere as well as others confused by some Tigers boosters seemingly having turned on Miles.
But as the game ended, fans chanted, “Keep Les Miles!”. Time and time again I have said that Steele has been a disappointing hire. “You are our coach.’ Joe Alleva followed that up after, ‘I want you to be our coach.’ It was magnificent”.
This corrects an earlier version of story to show team was on three-game losing streak. However, Miles appeared on the SEC Network later Friday and denied making any suggestion to the Gridiron Club that Saturday would be his last game as coach of the Tigers.
Les Miles gets carried off the field after beating Texas A&M.
Miles entered Tiger Stadium more than two hours before kickoff to a roar from a small group of students already in the stands. Then on Saturday night he watched Coach Martyr cheered before the game like a champion – not someone who had lost three straight games after trailing by a combined 55-0 in the first halves.
Did Miles really do anything that could be considered so egregious that he deserved to get the ax after one of the most successful coaching tenures in NCAA history?
“Scary”, he responded. “I know now what it’s like to ride an elephant”.
It was a pre-game curtain call that rivaled some of the loudest cheers in Tiger Stadium.
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The pressure will definitely be on Miles next season, as that elite recruiting class will be expected to pay dividends on the field.
