I agree. Look what Saban was saying all during the last month of last season when he was still with the Dolphins. Who's to say another LSU head coach won't do the same thing and that he was just trying to keep his team focused on today?
Maybe, just maybe, some overzealous alumnus from a rival SEC competitor called, who he knew to be, an aggressive but green reporter just itching to get some recognition and posed as an well-to-do insider at Michigan with a scoop. " Kirk, we've always admired your work over here at Michigan, and when Les Miles has our program on top next year, we hope that we can continue what has been a most productive relationship with you and the good folks at ESPN"
Who is the aggressive but green reporter looking to get some name recognition in your scenario? Kirk Herbstreit reported this, and he's the most recognized College Football analyst in America. More likely, Les Miles talked to Michigan through back channels, said he was comfortable with the general terms of the contract being discussed but said he wanted to wait until after the SEC Championship game to discuss it openly, and wanted to give LSU a chance to match. Someone in the Michigan Athletic Department leaked this to someone at ESPN and Les Miles responded to lessen the distraction before the Championship game.
If someone affiliated with Michigan leaked it, he/she is an effing idiot. It may have cost them Miles.
He's not some grizzled old sports-beat writer whose seen the subterfuge of the SEC. Things like the Ryan Perrilloux to Texas saga, lying to recruits about who was or was not planning to sign with a school, lying to recruits about rumors of a coach being the top choice for a pro job after their freshman year, faking entrance exams and junior college credits, phantom summer jobs, getting Mom a job with the state that has insurance and a pension, getting Dad an AAU job, providing sexual favors to recruits or starting rumors about sexual favors supplied to recruits. Remember, this is just ego boosting fun and games to rich alumni. It's not like real crime. If you're not cheatin' son, you're not trying. And that's not even talking about agents; coach's agents and agents positioning kids they have an in with to get favorable treatment and playing time in a coaching style that projects better to the pro game. My guess is Herbstreit is a dupe for someone else's' agenda and he didn't bother to get sufficient corroboration. He was sure crabbing last night during the Big 12 game and Brent was trying to help. It may have netted them Rich Rodriguez or Greg Schiano.
does it piss anyone else off that all the sports media is defending herbstreit. and then they wonder why these guys lie about their situation?
I don't know what was more enjoyable last night...Miles being interviewed by ESPN with Kirk on set or Jones calling Tebow for being a system QB.
what's going to be hilarious is when he leaves after the championship game anyway and then lsu hires bo pelini back from nebraska to be the new head coach.
I am a little mixed on Miles too. He probably has had the best group of talent the last 2 years bar none and has managed to lose 2 games each year. Recruiting seems great, but I think these seniors were Saban's. LSU isn't always focused and comits a ton of penalties (leads the SEC), or they would have been a whole lot more dominant the last 2 years. I think these teams are much more talented than Saban's NC team there. Miles could be a great coach for the long term for LSU and Michigan, but I am more 60% sold from what I have seen from his teams, not 99% sold.
That's what I was thinking but if LSU really did offer the 3.5M/season and 15M buyout, that would be hard to pass up.
I take it in that article that "Bertman" is Skip Bertman, LSU's athletic director (I hate it when a writer assumes we know who he is talking about when the first reference of the person is by their last name only). LMAO, Michigan must really have wood for Miles!
The funny thing about the extension is that the buyout for Miles to leave and go to Michigan is exactly the same ($1.25MM). So there was absolutely zero downside for Miles to sign it. If he wants to leave, he's in the same position he was before - pay $1.25MM and sign a contract with Michigan. If LSU wants to fire him, they made their lives a hell of a lot more difficult, though. It was a no-brainer to sign the extension, regardless of whether he wants to go to Michigan or not.
Les Miles is overrated and needs to shut up. Trust me I know. He used to coach at Oklahoma State and he said the same thing he said to LSU. Said this was his "home" and he would not leave.........then a month later he takes the money and run.
He will go to Michigan. Just didn't want to announce it before LSU played in the freaking national championship for god sakes. That would be a disaster and idiotic. Billy Clyde fled the coup after agreeing to terms. This is the new trend. I suppose the emotion of winning a title could change things. Nah...
The same thing every coach, at every level, in every sport says. I don't get why people get hung up on that kind of thing. Its not about money. Its about competition, respect, pride, loyalty, etc...
Les will go to Michigan after the game. He's a moron coach, so the best thing that could happen for LSU is to win the national championship and then lose him to michigan.
