Bingo. We've found out time and time again in college football coaching that there really are no true deterrents. When a big school wants a coach and the feeling is reciprocated, it will get done. I'm not using that as evidence that Herman will go to LSU or anything like that, but just as a statement of fact about how coaching searches work these days. There's also talk on Twitter that Art Briles' agent has been contacted. It just seems crazy that not only will Briles probably be coaching again in 2017, but that he might end up at a job better than the one he had.
That would be perfect fit for both sides. LSU needs offensive creativity. Briles get a chance to bring a unique offense to a fairly conservative SEC.
It's years in the making, but Kevin Sumlin, Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzhahn and several others have been working on that. The myth of the plodding SEC should be done-for at this point. They're better because of their lines and backers, not because of their offenses.
Yes that's true, BUT, he would have a lot more QB's to choose from in state of Texas when it comes to recruiting. I do agree his QB play hasn't been great.
If Texas is doing badly again this season, then let's say they fire Strong. Would UT and UH produce a deal to let UH enter the Big 12, give Herman his Big 12 bonus money, and then have him hired by UT?
No. Football coach and/or his money is not high on the list of concerns when talking about conference membership.
Certainly true - but I don't think access is Miles' problem. He gets top 5 recruiting classes year in and year out. Any great QB would be crazy to not consider LSU - its the only thing they are missing from consistent national title runs. The problem, like with Mack Brown in his last few years, seems to be an inability to identify the good QBs out there.
Booger McFarland said Deondre Francois was a longtime LSU fan and verbally committed to them early on. But as decision time approached, people got in his ear about playing for Les Miles and he selected Florida State. McFarland also said it was Miles' old-timey, run-first, ground-and-pound philosophy that turned off top notch QBs. I agree with him and don't think identifying QBs was the problem at all. No "great" high school QB thinking of an NFL future would want to play for Les Miles in college. I remember the 2012 Alabama @ LSU game. Alabama dominated the 1st half and it looked over. In the 2nd half, Zach Mettenberger started dealing and the Alabama DBs could keep up with OBJ and Jarvis Landry. The problem was as soon as LSU got the lead, Miles reverted the offense back to pound and ground and they stalled. In particular, LSU had a chance to go up 2 scores late and on consecutive plays, they ran up the gut on 3rd and 2, 4th and 2 and got stonewalled. The rest is history. I won't comment on how LSU changed their defense on the last series. One of the stupidest losses I've ever seen in my life. I think Bobby Hebert burst a vein that night he was so mad.
Now that Miles has been fired, 33 coaches from all 13 SEC schools have been fired since Saban arrived. Dan Mullen/Gus are probably next.
I think you can look at this both ways though. Does Les Miles go to ground-and-pound because that's what he does or because he tends to have terrible QBs? Despite their failures once there, he's sent 3 QBs to the NFL, including a #1 overall pick, so it's not like going there hurts your NFL future - if anything, those guys benefited from the publicity of playing for LSU and with all the great talent around them and got drafted higher than they should have. And when he had Russell, he generally trusted him to run the offense. If you were a great QB, wouldn't you want to play with superstar receivers like OBJ, behind a great o-line with a top-tier running game, and for a team that's consistently in the national title hunt (until the last year or two)?
Jamarcus Russell played there 10 years ago and isn't relevant. I doubt very much he inspires recruits of today in a positive way (if at all). If I was a highly sought after QB recruit eyeing the NFL, I would go someplace where my skills would be developed, maximized and publicized. If you honestly believe top-level QBs currently feel this way about Les Miles at LSU, I don't know what to say.
And how many of those guys have played for Saban at Alabama? Completely agree. Les Miles is not a bad coach at all, he's just not a good coach for his time and place.
Yes and no. Herman's buyout is only 2M or so IIRC which really is chump change. But buying out your own coach can be a lot harder than most think. There were some rumblings that Sumlin and Les weren't fired last season because of how much it'd cost the school to buy them out. When you're talking about 15-20M to buyout your own coach + contract/buyout for new coach + contracts for new staff, it adds up quick. Not a big issue for the bigger programs but not chump change that is for sure.
FIRE UP THE CAROUSEL 2017 THREAD. Patterson moving there (to LSU) makes sense to me. Briles I cant see going to LSU. Auburn - yes. Herman I cant see going to LSU - he'll get an even better job eventually. I'm not so sure LSU is a top tier A-list spot. Don't get me wrong, it's a great spot, just not USC/tOSU/Michigan/UT level. That program has some... taint to it lately. LSU wanted to fire Les Miles last year. LSU couldn't land anyone better at the time so they kept him. I figured Miles would just mail it in this year. That situation might be telling... not so sure LSU lands the stud. Even UT had to settle for Strong. And Michigan, they had to settle 3 or 4 times before finally getting the stud they wanted. Did Chavis see the writing on the wall? Is that why he left? How bad did him leaving hurt LSU? Did he even get along with Les Miles?
Exactly. However, Saban has shown a bit more openness to offensive creativity than Miles and he has Lane Kiffin as OC. Plus, Saban is a better coach in every conceivable way. It's painfully obvious the game has passed him by. At his next job, Miles needs to hire a gifted OC and give him complete autonomy.
Does anybody know the circumstances of Hermann leaving Ohio State? Obviously he made an open ended comment to staying thru the final game, whenever that would be. But how about when he spoke to UH, accepted the job, and announced the decision. Who broke the story, UH, OSU, TH?
WOOHOO. Patterson to LSU Briles to Auburn Briles Jr at Baylor Herman to UT Miles to TCU UH to the Big Twatever ??? to UH (serious question, if Herman does leave who gets hired? Who's the special teams coach?)
