Les Miles will give you exactly what Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr gave you--in other words, a team that could dominate 80s era football.

Miles knows how to use superior talent and conservatively bludgeon opponents. When push comes to shove, however, that style just doesn't get it done.

For example, LSU had 6 possessions inside the Auburn half of the field last year, but only mustered 3 points. Auburn just stacked up against middle runs and LSU was helpless.


Miles, to his credit, made his best move this season in hiring Gary Crowton at offensive coordinator. However, he is screwing it up. Instead of trusting Crowton, he is playing multiple offenses whose philosophies conflict. I think this will lead to disaster whn LSU finds themselves in a tough game.


Miles, also, will not be a good recruiter at Michigan. Unlike LSU, Michigan needs to reach far and wide throughout the country for recruits. Like it or not, the big11ten has gotten their asses kicked in recruiting the last 5 years or so and it shows. There just aren't enough players out of Ohio and Western Pennsylvania to support the entire conference. Hell, there isn't enough to support the teams at the top anymore even with all the rest the midwest offers. Though it's tough, the only way to win is to go in the backyards of California, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina and come out with some players.

While Miles seems ok so far at LSU. It's because a blind monkey can recruit at LSU--just lock up the state, get a few from the Texas close to the Louisiana border, and grab some from the Mississippi Gulf area. This area is stocked. Just a 4 hour radius gives 2 to 3 times the players as the same 4 hour radius around Ann Arbor.
The big11ten hates to admit it, but the population changes in the US in addition to the increased athleticism and work put in down south has made midwest football a dying breed.

From everything I've read, Miles just isn't good enough to overcome obstacles like that. He has to go into Ohio and compete well against Ohio State for kids and then reach across the nation for everyone else.

One has to get the thoroughbreads.

The name on the helmut doesn't mean as much anymore. Coaches have to recruit.

Actually, I'm pretty sure Miles will goto Michigan.

From the Michigan side:
he's a Michigan man, but still an outside presence in some way
he has maintained LSU as a BCS contender in the toughest conference year-in and year-out

from Miles' side:
He's starting to get his ass kicked for players by Saban
he can go to Michigan and ride out mediocre success like Carr did for a decade
it's 'his' school
LSU fans have been ruthless on Miles for the lack of wins the last few years and for not being Saban

Yeah, I figure Les will go if offered. Coaches bolt all the time after saying "I have no interest in going"...and Miles said far less than that (mostly something like "we're not going to talk about that right now" which sure screams "I'm going" in coach-speak). I wouldn't be horrified by him but I'd rather we contact Tedford, Rodriguez, Schiano et al and go for them first. No idea if they'd be interested but it's a top job and Martin will open the checkbook if his past hires are an indication (Belein, extension for Maloney).

Upside on Miles is he's at least hired top assistants. That's Carr's damning fault, IMO: he's had crappy assistants his whole tenure. Bo had great assistants who went on to coach as successful head coaches. Lloyd's had DeBord (failed at CMU) and Brady Hoke at Ball State. Ugh.

On the upside (for me, not you) Michigan has been able to recruit very well nationally. New guy has to be able to keep that up.

Tedford would be the guy I'd go after

MT2R - What about Sarkisian? Seems like he'd be a good target as well. Good resume from a winning program. Young guy that can be there for awhile. Even though SC's offense is explosive, its still somewhat conventional and not a radical shift to the spread. Should fit will with the existing talent (esp. Mallett).

Sarkisian is also a great potential hire

The guy who should get a look for any job, not just Michigan, is Charlie Strong--amazed Mr Strong doesn't have a head coach spot yet

That has me thinking, the other defensive coordinator at Florida, Greg Mattison, is a 'Michigan Man' as well---he might be an off the radar guy that could be good, but obviously has a less proven resume

Some funny stuff in this thread. Been hearing in recent days that Henne is rising in part because Michigan's offense isn't "qb friendly."

Rich Rod isn't going to be any qb friendlier to say the least.

This looks like a Bill Callahanesque disaster redux.

Dude if you've seen anything about Michigan football lately it would be anything but a Bill Callahan type situation. Rodriguez did awesome on signing day and is already doing well for next year. While UM's QB pipeline to the NFL may not be quite as proficient in the past, other positions will project quite well. RichRod made West f'ing Virginia into a regular contender and before he even takes the field at Michigan you're saying he's going to end up like Callahan? Give me a break, especially when the initial results have been positive.

Where did you see anywhere that Michigan's recent offense wasn't "QB friendly"? Seriously, find me a legit source on that. Henne is rising because he has an arm and did well when not injured in a system that has developed QBs for the NFL on a regular basis.

This is the dumbest thing I've read in a long long time.

Michigan finished with a top 10 class in a year where they changed coaches. We've signed two top 50 players for 2009. All signs point to QB Kevin Newsome ending his recruiting early and joining next year's class as well. It's going to take a little time, but Bill ****ing Callahan?

You're a joke.

You can spin it any way you want, but it doesn't look good. The family values at michigan are crumbling. Starters are leaving for ohio st ....

shut up troll

Kevin Newsome committed today. That's the third top 50 recruit for '09 and the first of what should be 2-3 QBs in the class.

http://michigan.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=801126

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExJDDlWeJz0

Sexy

yep...

DickRod is starting to become a blogger's favorite guy... constant entertainment

The first comment posted pretty much sums up the situation:

"My take: Magee's agent never claimed that Aschebrook was a racist, just that he delivered a message about the WVU powers that be. Aschebrook is upset that he is now being portrayed as a racist by the media. That is not Magee's, Rodriguez's or their agent's fault. No where in the conversation did Rodriguez or Magee say that the claim was false. Aschebrook is the only one denying it. Seems like just another "he said-he said" pissing contest.

Rodriguez offered him a job because of their previous relationship, not for some grand X-Files type, cover-up scheme. He was trying to help out a loyal friend, who unfortunately got caught in the crossfire. Seems like a pretty stand up move to me.

The only issue here is whether or not Aschebrook really said what Magee's agent claims he said. There is no way to prove that, and nothing said by Rodriguez or Magee (as stated by Aschebrook) contradicts that earlier claim.

For full disclosure, I will admit that I am a Michigan man, and this whole situation sickens me. It needs to end now.

But, the affidavit is far from explosive... more like a bunch of smoke in a disgusting back and forth PR battle. Nothing in that document tells me anything of substance other than the fact that Aschebrook doesn't like the way everything went down.

Well none of us do..."

-----------------

It is entertaining, though, I guess.

Man the Big 10 football threads this year are going to be awesome.

yeah... I linked that blog mainly so everyone could see Bin Laden in a Michigan shirt

Yeah I really think this will be a whole big deal about nothing. The only people who still seriously care about this are in WV and they'll probably get some settlement, unless Rodriguez comes up with some crazy evidence, but I really doubt it'll be the whole 4 mil. Osama bin Rich Rodriguez did crack me up though. West Virginians are the most vindictive group I've ever seen. Their Scout boards are still all over every possible twist and turn in this.

you should read their bball boards when it comes to recruiting verse Memphis... it will get real ugly in that direction as well

I saw West Virginia fball play at Purdue in the mid-90s. Purdue was coached by Coletto and led by Mike Alstott and Corey Rogers IIRC. The fans of WVU were bat**** crazy IMO. Not saying it in a judgmental good or bad way. More like they were the most passionate, into-the-game, obsessive crazy that I've seen out of a whole fanbase.

Well as they've said themselves countless times, WVU is the only thing they have in a state whose greatest export is people, so I can understand them going nuts. I mean they have a separate board with over 1000 threads about the Rodriguez thing and they didn't even create it until a few weeks after it happened when hundreds of other threads had already been started. I go and check back just for the pure comedy. They are A+++++ revisionist historians.

Carr helped Boren transfer to tOSU

Standard Carr.

From my perspective the fact that everyone hates RRod in the big 10 can't be seen as a bad thing. Maybe the whole conference, not just Michigan, needs a kick in the ass.

Weird. I guess he wanted to help one of his kids and placed that over the rivalry. Good rivalries are rooted in respect, but this is still strange.

yes and no

the whole conference hated* Sampson and that helped bring him down
It's good to stir up the whole conference once in awhile, but it can lead to some ugly things when they all gang up against you.... see the Illini sports program get decimated in the mid to late 80s as well. Then again, being from an old Illini sport supporting family, all I have to say is "**** the Big11Ten. I hope the conference eats a fat dick and dies. Cannot believe we didn't get out of this ****ing travesty."


*the Bloomington Herald Times had some great emails they obtained via FOIA of all the different mens' basketball, womens' bball, and football Big11Ten coaches telling Indiana to reconsider hiring Sampson