Yeah, I remember watching WWL and Sean was giving an interview where he essentially said he was pleased with the new DL coach who was correcting poorly coached/improper technique taught by the previous guy. This article hints at it, but I can't find any audio/video/transcript of Sean actually saying it unfortunately. http://blog.nola.com/saintsbeat/2009/01/ed_orgeron_leaving_the_new_orl.html
I believe I remember this right...I can give some evidence regardless. I believe counting Leonard Williams (USC being drafted this year), Orgeron would have been the DL coach during the tenure of 12 1st round DL selections into the draft. Some of them I believe are Warren Sapp, Russell Maryland, and Cortez Kenney from Miami....Mike Patterson and Leonard Williams from USC... Dan Williams from TN. I believe there are 6 more...probably some more from the schools mentioned and I would guess Ole Miss. I don't think there is much doubt that Orgeron is a hell of a DL coach. I was just against him being hired as DC (which he wasn't of course) because at LSU that shouldn't be a "learn as you go position" and Orgeron has never been a DC. Studrawa clearly wasnt up to the task as offensive coordiator...his only OC position before LSU was at Bowling Green years before but of course LSU was put in a bind when Kragthorpe the hired OC was diagnosed with early onset Parkinsons just a couple of months before the season started.
So . . . reading between the lines . . . it seems probable that both Chavis and Haley were encouraged by Les to find themselves some greener pastures, just as Studrawa and Crowton were. The whole contract dispute thing was smoke and mirrors.
On Chavis, I'm pretty sure the ND game cushioned the blow for Miles quite a bit. That was the poorest preparation of a DEF game plan I have seen in my entire life. Chavis made a mediocre at best ND offense look like the 49ers under Joe Montana....consistently converting 3rd and longs. It was obvious after the facts came out that Chavis spent more time talking to Sumlin than he did preparing a defensive game plan. I think the contract deal only made things worse. Chavis wanted essentially to be paid a full year more if Miles left after 2 more years. LSU of course offered 1/2 years extra salary. On Haley, I think it was a combination of 2 things...that 2013 signing class that was supposed to be awesome along the DL and certainly hasn't lived it to the billing (see Gilmore, Herron, Bain, Patterson, and Neal pretty much on milk cartons). Second factor as one of the LSU recruiting services guys said (maybe Ben Love?). He had heard pretty good rumors that Les Miles found out that Haley knew of Chavis intent to leave LSU for A&M and said nothing to him. Loyalty is fine I guess between Haley and Chavis but just imagine you are running a company (LSU FB program) and one of your employees hides a relavent piece of info from you. My guess is that employee would be cleaning out his desk the next day.
Yeah, that "rumor" sounded pretty legit to me. Even people who don't care for Les Miles pretty much admit the guy goes out of his way not to embarass people...not opposing coaches during wins...not players who get benched....not guys like Crowton, Studrawa, Peveto/Mallory, etc when they basically get fired but "resign" to "pursue other opportunities". When he called Brick Haley "an intern" that struck a lot of people as personal. That told me and a lot of people there was a lot more going on than just say "not living up to coaching expectations". IMO, Miles considered something that Haley did to be "inappropriate" or "a betrayal". Certainly, if Haley knew that Chavis was leaving and kept his mouth shut, I can see why Miles got pissed off. After all, Chavis wasn't Haley's boss...Les Miles was. BTW, I'm not talking about the morality of what he did one way or the other. I'm just saying you do that in corporate America, you are flat out GONE!!! And let's face it, college football is big business.
