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SI.com college football writer Stewart Mandel shares his commentary, analysis and random tidbits on the latest developments around the country.12/01/2007 05:01:00 PM Championship Saturday Observations, Part I
The first bombshell of Championship Saturday took place not on a field, but in the bowels of the Georgia Dome. And it’s already sent shockwaves across the sport.
It was a wild Saturday for LSU coach Les Miles, even before the SEC title game began.Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Mere hours after a former Ohio State quarterback attempted to break the scoop about Michigan’s next coach, the man presumed for months to be that coach shot down said news in no uncertain terms.
“I am the head coach at LSU, I’ll be the head coach at LSU and will be next year,” Miles told CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson shortly after holding a pregame news conference at the SEC championship where he criticized the “misinformation on ESPN.”
“You will be the head coach next year?” Wolfson followed up.
“Absolutely,” replied Miles.
I know it’s never wise to trust a coach until he signs on the dotted line. I know coaches have said one thing and done another before (see: Saban, Nick), but folks -- that’s some pretty strong wording.
It looks like Michigan is going to have to find itself a different coach.
In the world of coaching negotiations, it’s usually close to impossible to know who or what to believe. I don’t doubt that at one point (possibly as recently as this morning) Miles was Michigan-bound. But it appears LSU stepped up with an offer he couldn’t refuse.
It had been widely reported that Miles’ agent flew to Baton Rouge this week to discuss a new contract. It had also been reported that Michigan had received permission to meet with Miles after Saturday’s game. Most assumed that Miles would be donning a new baseball cap by Sunday.
Clearly, something changed -- and that something is $$$. LSU -- faced with the prospect of losing not only Miles but his logical replacement, defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, who is reportedly headed to Nebraska, all while its team is supposed to be preparing to play for a conference championship -- must have stepped up to the plate in a big, big way.
No confirmed numbers have come out yet, but it’s believed LSU’s offer is in a whole other stratosphere from what Michigan was prepared to pay. We’re talking Charlie Weis/Pete Carroll/Urban Meyer-type money -- which is kind of preposterous when you consider Miles (as of 4:30 p.m. EST), while 32-6 at LSU, has not yet won a championship of any kind.
But apparently LSU decided the potential consequences of a still somewhat-fragile program (it’s still relatively new to the national stage) losing both its head coach and defensive coordinator to more “glamorous” locales would be too crippling. What we don’t know is whether that offer came before or after ESPN aired its report, thus necessitating such frantic spin control from LSU.
What does it all mean? It means that any remaining Tigers fans who have not yet embraced the “Mad Hatter” need to jump on board, because LSU just gave several million indications that Miles is the man for the long haul.
It also means Michigan might be able to hire a better coach.
That’s right. No need to view this as a nightmare, Wolverines fans. For all the hype, Miles is not the sole man in America capable of leading your football team, and in fact I’ve felt all along that Michigan was focused on the wrong guy. If AD Bill Martin is smart, he will place his next call to Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly, a guy who could ultimately become Michigan’s version of Jim Tressel if given the chance.
Still, this has certainly been one of the strangest courtships in recent memory. The only thing that would make it stranger … is if Miles does a 180 tomorrow and takes the Michigan job.
• Congratulations to Virginia Tech on capturing its second ACC title in its four years in the conference. It’s particularly impressive when you consider the road the Hokies took to get there -- from spending their entire preseason answering questions about the tragic shooting on their campus to a disastrous performance at LSU the second week to the last-second collapse against Matt Ryan and Boston College in late October.
But quarterbacks Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor -- the subjects of so many questions earlier in the season -- both turned it on over the final month of the season, and both played big roles in an impressive offensive showing Saturday to get revenge on the Eagles, 30-16.
• UCF running back Kevin Smith continued his phenomenal junior season, running 39 times for 284 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Knights to a 44-25 Conference USA championship victory over Tulsa. Smith now has 2,448 yards on the season. If he can get 181 in UCF’s bowl game, he’ll break Barry Sanders’ Division I-A single season record.
• Meanwhile, Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan’s equivalent to Tim Tebow, threw for 185 yards and a touchdown and ran for 170 yards and two scores to lead the Chippewas to their second straight MAC title with a 35-10 win over Miami (OH).posted by Stewart Mandel | View comments |Comments:
Or they will hire offensive coordinator Mike DeBord which is the most likely scenario.He's still going to Michigan. I'm sure he was looking for a way to fire up his team before the game. It could also be that Mich started with a lowball offer, thinking that he wanted the job so bad he didn't care about the money. Who cares what he says today.If Mike DeBord is named the next head coach at Michigan, Bill Martin needs to be fired. You can't go 13-24 at Central Michigan and then become the head coach at Michigan.
Hopefully DeBord's innovative offense, which includes off tackle left for the first play of every game over the last two years, has seen the Michigan Stadium turf for the last time.
Miles was the safe choice, which is why Michigan went after him. Ferentz is another safe choice, and Michigan should avoid him at all costs.
As Stewart suggested, Brian Kelly would be a good fit. I'd also like to see them make a call to Chris Peterson at Boise State.I seem to remember Miles saying almost those exact same words before he left Oklahoma State.I'm still holding out hope that Michigan will hire Ferentz and that Ferentz takes Ken O'Keefe with him. Then Iowa can feel free to select Mike McFarley from UNI as their next head coach and bring a much less predictable offense with him.I can't see Brian Kelly. I think that the success Cincy has had this season has far more to do with Dantonio (MSU's head coach) rather than Kelly's. He has had one good season, but you really want someone who has a better track record than 1 year.
And Ferentz? You have got to be kidding me. He missed his window when he stayed after a few good years at Iowa to leave to a better program/NFL.
And I agree with Wolverine2000, if Debord is hired, Bill Martin should be fired, and I am a Buckeye fan. All that guy will do is garuntee 4 more Buckeye victories before he is fired.
I am shocked that this is the best they can do. Heck, get Jon Gruden, or someone who will bring some respectability and another 10 year war...Les:
Liar, Liar, your pants on fire.
Who would believe a football coach about anything?Mike DeBord was fired from Central Michigan in favor of Brian Kelly right? How ironic would it be if given a choice between the guy who failed at CMU and the guy who succeed, Michigan choses the guy who failed. I can just see it now.I really like Jon Gruden for the job. He's a tough, hard nosed coach, and that's exactly U of M's style. Also, i think you have to be mentally challenged to offer Cam Cameron the job. 0-11 first year coach, even in the NFL...come on!!!Anyone else seem to remember that Nick Saban swore up and down he was not leaing Miami? I fully expect Les Miles in Ann Arbor next year. To me, he was just trying to divert attention away from himself before the SEC Championship.Les Miles is the coach of LSU and will be the coach of LSU. He'll be the coach next year too. That is until Jan 2nd rolls around after LSU has finished its bowl game. Shortly after, Les will be wearing Maize and BLUE..Brian Kelly has won on every level he's coached at, so I'm not sure I understand the one year track record statement. With that same philosophy WVU should never have hired Rich Rodriguez. He didn't have any Division I head coaching experience before taking over the Mountaineers. Michigan could do a lot worse than Brian Kelly.I don't know of course, but it doesn't sound good for Michigan. It just doesn't seem likely that Miles would want to wear the title of the greatest liar on the planet.
When Florida needed a coach it got one everyone wanted, and Notre Dame came up short. The ones mentioned for Michigan are hardly being chased. It may be a sign of how far Notre Dame and the Big Ten have fallen. There was a time when they would have their choice.Jason is right in his response to the naysayers. Brian Kelly has won big everywhere he's been. After building Grand Valley State into the DII powerhouse, he took over at CMU (in a move that everyone said would be a career killer) and made it respectable. Now he's begun to lure blue chippers from Michigan to Cinci.
The only reasons he won't get the UM job are that 1) the move makes too much sense and 2) his offenses are too imaginative and 3) he has too much of an ego for UM to handle.Michigan's inner circle will not allow Kelly or anyone outside of the program to take over this team. It will be Mike DeBord, like it or not, Michigan is a dead horse.for victorsvaliant07 - Sounds like stupidity to me on the part of Michigan's inner circle if they really believe that the best coach available has Michigan bloodlines. In breeding eventually produces mutates. Michigan may not be all that far from the mutant stage.Its time for a playoff. There have been some great games in the (old) 1-AA tournament with the semis and final to come. Delaware, who beat Navy, upset top seeded Northern Iowa, who earlier beat Iowa St, who beat Iowa, who beat Illinois, who beat Ohio St, who could be playing for the (poll determined) national championship. Every other sport and every other division in football decides it on the field. Its time.It would be ridiculous to choose Mike Debord as a coach, especially when Michigan had one of their worst offensive games for a long time again Ohio State, only getting 91 yards the whole game. He needs an updated offense, not "Hart left" every play.
I hope Les Miles still comes to Michigan, but the next best person would be Brian Kelly. Here is a guy who has been successful on every level, and he coached most of his career in the state of Michigan. He led Grand Valley State University to back to back championships in 2003-2004, won the 2006 MAC title with Central Michigan, and did very well in his first year at Cincinnati.Stew talks about WV creeping up on us and flying under the radar. I think that's just another way of saying they played a weak schedule. Play a top team from another conf and win, and you are no longer under the radar. I wouldn't mind the weak schedules so much if there was aplayoff.I hate michigan.However, I believe that if they want to be a better team they should hire brian kelly or ron english.I know ron english's defense didn't have a great year but just last season we were talking about how this guy needed a head coaching job.I would love to see an african american coach take over for a big name program.Brian kelly would be a great hire but would have to hire an entire new coaching staff to replace the one in place at michigan, and coach carr has made sure it would cost michigan some money to accomplish such a task.Other potential candidates should be sylvester croom(great job turning around miss st.),ron zook(at least he was able to beat the bucks),and larry coker(very familiar the midwest area and could recruit blue chippers to um)...Of course it doesn't matter who michigan hires because they will still have my beloved buckeyes on their schedule...GO BUCKS and CINCY!!!I hate michigan.However, I believe that if they want to be a better team they should hire brian kelly or ron english.I know ron english's defense didn't have a great year but just last season we were talking about how this guy needed a head coaching job.I would love to see an african american coach take over for a big name program.Brian kelly would be a great hire but would have to hire an entire new coaching staff to replace the one in place at michigan, and coach carr has made sure it would cost michigan some money to accomplish such a task.Other potential candidates should be sylvester croom(great job turning around miss st.),ron zook(at least he was able to beat the bucks),and larry coker(very familiar the midwest area and could recruit blue chippers to um)...Of course it doesn't matter who michigan hires because they will still have my beloved buckeyes on their schedule...GO BUCKS and CINCY!!!Anyone who questions Kelly's legitimacy as Michigan coaching candidate hasn't paid any attention to college football. He built a Division II juggernaut at Grand Valley State and restored CMU to a MAC championship level program. While the Cincinnatti team was essentially Dantonio's, Kelly still coached them to a national ranking. He may or may not get the job, but he has been hugely successful evcerywhere he has been. He more than merit's consideration.Why hasn't Michigan interview anyone else? If they are waiting on this idiot Les Miles to make a decision, UM is in trouble. By watching Les's interviews, it is clear that he would say something stupid that would be an embarrasment to the Michigan Wolverines.Of the two assistant coaches, Ron English is more likely to get hired than Mike DeBord. Moeller and Carr were both DCs before they got promoted, and English is a great recruiter. Eventually he will get a head coaching job, but I don't think that now is the right time.
I have been watching Mike DeBord waste the offensive talent at Michigan for the last 10 years. More often than not, you see players go on to better success in the NFL than in college (Brady being the most obvious example) because they were not getting the coaching they needed from DeBord.
I look forward to the days of throwing on first down, or maybe running a toss play.Think Mandel is right (it happens). Miles would be Tressel meat at Michigan. Why should Michigan make a Notre Dame type mistake in paying gigantic bucks for someone who hasn't proven to be a big bucks coach?I hate to change the subject, but I couldn't find another blog to bring this up on. Why and how could the CBS announcer of the UT LSU game blame the fact that LSU is not playing for the National Title on the alleged chop block during the LSU Auburn game? How did that play dirty or not cause LSU to lose to UK the week before?Why would Miles go to Michigan and compete for the talent with OSU, MSU, and other solid mid-west programs when he can stay at LSU and monopolize the richest Football talent in the nation right there in Louisiana?
FYI -- LSU produced four 1st round picks in the 2007 NFL draft and La. is
1st in NFL players per capita.....Strange but true.
Miles is no dummy. Like Nick Saban who should have stayed put, Miles realizes the SEC is a hot ticket and will be for years to come. And LSU is the only SEC team with no in-state recruting competition.
That plus $30 million is a no-brainer.auburnwide,
yeah, I guess the CBS guys saw too many games and got confused on the order. ;-)
I didn't see the LSU-VaTech game but Dorsey didn't seem dominant at all in the ones I did see against UF and UK. UF had a freshman playing opposite Dorsey and he (Pouncey) more than held his own. Not that having him (Dorsey) at full strenth wouldn't be better than otherwise in any case, but I think they talked him up more than was warranted by what I saw.I can understand that if LSU throws Donald Trump money at Miles, then it would be hard to pass up. But if he doesn't even talk to Michigan, then he needs to send all his UM momentos to Ann Arbor where they can be properly disposed of.Mike DeBord....is that the same Mike DeBord who claims to be the only one to stop Tom Brady!Herbie just did the University of Michigan a huge favor. Miles is a bully and a braggart, and belongs in the SEC. Keep your class, UM, and go for someone that can represent your institution like an adult.nothing is worth reporting unless contracts are signed. What else is Miles going to say? Just let it play out... the college sports media jump on rumors like crazy.Dorsey was just starting to get healthy from a previous minor leg injury when Auburn cut blocked him. He has not been the same since, changing the face of the entire D. Without him at top form, we could not pressure the OB with 4D lineman, altering the entire scheme.WoooHoooo!!! Les & LSU!This LSU fan is doing the cha-cha-CHING right now!I am a Florida Gators fan, but I gained respect for Les Miles after the LSU game. I like how aggressively he coaches. He plays to win. He isn't some wussy conservative coach who plays not to lose. I will respect him more if he stays at LSU (even though that may not be good for the Gators). Even though his dream job is available, he made a committment to his team and it looks like he will stick with it. Good for him! What would Ward Cleaver suggest in this situation? ;)Though breaking the single season rushing record (for 1-A at least is impressive), isn't it kind of cheapened by the NCAA counting bowl games now? And 12 regular season games?
It took Barry Sanders 11 games to set the record it will take Kevin Smith 13 games to break."Keep your class, UM, and go for someone that can represent your institution like an adult"
You do realize we are talking about Michigan here, you know that school that Lloyd Carr has coached for the last decade plus. You do know that Carr has a well earned reputation as a cry baby and whiner. A man who has historically run a fairly loose ship. A man who whines about officiating after every close loss despite the fact that he has won no less than a dozen games during his tenure because of officiating.West Virginia isn't flying under the radar anymore, as Stew said. I guess they crashed. With Missou having difficulty I wonder who will be chosen to face OSU. I just hope it is not a second or third place finisher in a conf. Either USC or LSU would make for a great game, no?Why does the Big Ten underpay its coaches so terribly? I mean, SEC, PAC-10 and Big 12 coaches are making the cheddar ($3m+ range) while their counterparts in the Big Ten earn less than $1 million. JoePa makes $500,000 and Lloyd Carr made only 1.25m. Aren't they concerned they'd lose quality coaches like they lost Les Miles?Why does the Big Ten underpay its coaches so terribly? I mean, SEC, PAC-10 and Big 12 coaches are making the cheddar ($3m+ range) while their counterparts in the Big Ten earn less than $1 million. JoePa makes $500,000 and Lloyd Carr made only 1.25m. Aren't they concerned they'd lose quality coaches like they lost Les Miles?The Book
Stewart Mandel's first book, Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls: Tackling the Chaos and Controversy that Reign Over College Football, is available now. Click here to order your discounted copy.CommentsAll user comments must be approved by the moderator before being published. Due to time constraints, comments will only be published for the first several hours following a new post.More MandelRecent Posts
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