LSU beats Texas A&M; LSU AD says Les Miles will continue to be coach
You can view the fan reaction during LSU’s 19-7 win over Texas A&M as a tribute to Les Miles or a case for him to stay as the Tigers’ coach.
It was likely both.
Before the game started, Miles was given a loud ovation.
As the Tigers had the game wrapped up, Miles was saluted by the crowd, which started chanting his name.
And then when the game was over, Miles was carried off the field.
Miles’ future has been murky over the past two weeks. The win Saturday night snapped a three-game losing streak. Would he be the Tigers’ coach moving forward? When asked about it after the game, he responded that he had “no idea.”
If LSU administrators were paying attention on Saturday, they should have had a good idea of what to do. Athletic director Joe Alleva apparently was watching.
Apparently Miles wasn’t kidding when he said he didn’t have any idea if he’d continue to be LSU’s coach either.
If the school parted with Miles, it would owe him a $15 million buyout barring any negotiated settlement. The large number should’ve serve as a deterrent. And if it didn’t, the fan reaction Saturday night was pretty strong.
When have you seen a team part with a successful coach so clearly revered by his fans and players? Star running back Leonard Fournette – who will be back for his junior season at LSU in 2016 – called Miles both a father and a brother following the game. A game in which he broke the LSU single-season rushing record.
But why did it take so long for Alleva to publicly support Miles? He hadn’t said anything as reports about Miles’ uncertain future multiplied. He could have put everything to rest with a simple statement a lot earlier. Instead, he waited until he knew he’d be cast as the bad guy by fans if he made the decision to cut Miles loose to say the coach was staying.
Was it an incredibly impressive performance against Texas A&M? No. But Fournette was a star, and LSU’s defense held the Texas A&M offense to a sole touchdown. It was a fitting victory for a fourth-place finish in the SEC West and an 8-3 season. Sure, LSU has flaws, but so does nearly every other team in the country. And that includes Alabama, the team coached by Nick Saban, the man Miles will forever be compared against.
As of now, LSU has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2016. With another season of quarterback Brandon Harris and Fournette, the offense should be better. If Harris improves as much as he did from 2014 to 2015, LSU may have legitimately competent quarterback play.
There are reasons to be optimistic as Miles continues to be the Tigers’ coach. Did LSU have a good option if he didn’t? Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher appeared to not be one. And were the Tigers convinced Chip Kelly would come to Baton Rouge if the Philadelphia Eagles let him go? Was there another candidate that no one is thinking of?
Sometimes the best plan is to stick with the one you already have. It appears LSU has realized that. And it’s the right move.
For more LSU news, visit Tigerbait.com.
For more Texas A&M news, visit AggieYell.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
