A genuine question for the unwavering Miles/Crowton supporters

Discussion in 'The Tiger's Den' started by lsudolemite, Jan 2, 2010.

  1. Tom Callender

    Tom Callender Founding Member

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    For a change the Morning Advocate & Randy R told it like it is. For all of you that blindly look at the good side of things please read the two stores by RR in this mornings (sunday) sports page... I could not have said it better myself.... especially the part where LM says he wants to run the ball more.. :nope:
     
  2. LEGACY TIGER

    LEGACY TIGER Defy Yourself

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    My love is LSU first. I will say, as I always have, is that Miles strength depends on his asst's. Right now he doesn't have what he has had in the past. A change needs to happen on the O side of the ball. Should next season be more of the same then Miles will be gone, and I will be in full support of that move. That said I think Miles has one or two more coaching moves left to handle in the next couple of weeks, and I think it will be done.
     
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  3. Richdog

    Richdog 02 Cecilia alumni champs

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    I doubt that they can read.
     
  4. valve

    valve Veteran Member

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    I have just been on ESPN web site reading the article about Texas Tech and there were some comments about their coaching eposode. Some of the things that was obvious is he was smart enough to surrond himself with coaches that was so good that they could be a head coach. The players commented on what they have learned about football while playing under Leach and his coaching staff. Recruits are looking for a program that they can come to and advance their knowledge of football. IMO the players at at LSU have all the talent but they are not being coached in how to use it. If you want to blame Crowton then go ahead but where does the buck stop? CLM or the BOS.
     
  5. arizonafan

    arizonafan Veteran Member

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    I don't think we have to tell them anything. If they are being recruited by us I'm sure they have been paying attention and forming their own opinions. If you were Seastrunk and noticed that Shep didn't see the field in the bowl, what would you be thinking?
     
  6. fanatic

    fanatic Habitual Line Stepper

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    Nobody has to tell them. They watch the same games we do and they can see it for themselves.
    True, but those same supervisors can most certainly be influenced by fan criticisms about what they're seeing and the potential loss of revenue if they're not proactive about finding a solution.
     
  7. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    I've already said it many times, were you paying attention? Here it is, point by point.

    1. I don't support "the coaches", I support "the program". To me that means the program needs to make smart coaching changes when it is necessary for the program, NOT because it would please some impatient or unrealistic fans.

    2. After failing for 15 years to find a proper coach, LSU made good choices in the last two. Both have won a ton of games, kept us in the elite rankings and delivered championships.

    3. Averaging 10 wins a season is damn good football in the SEC. Coaches don't get fired for this anywhere. Name a coach who has a national championship and averages 10 wins that got fired for it.

    4. 4- and 5 loss seasons happen to every program sometimes. Nick had 4- and 5-loss seasons at LSU and he's had a 5-loss season at Bama. USC had a four-loss season this year. It happens. It's not a losing season.

    5. Coaches get fired for losing, not for winning. I've sat through 8 losing seasons at LSU and the last two seasons were not among them. I liked Gerry Dinardo, too, but when he let the wheels come off, he had to go for the good of the program. Les ain't even close to that performance. When Les starts losing, then he must move along. Until then, I'd rather talk about what the coaches and players are doing or should be doing in 2010 instead of blathering on endlessly about who should be fired right now to make everything all better. Coaching changes ruin two recruiting seasons and we just don't need to make those changes lightly.

    6. A time will come for Les to move on, it comes for all coaches. But that time ain't here for Les. I think that the revolving door for coaches is bad for a program. I think firing winning coaches is bad for the program. I think that unrealistic expectations from some fans are bad for the program. Top coaching candidates will avoid programs where you can never be good enough to be accepted. If double-digit wins and trophies gets you fired, there are a lot of other schools paying good money and delighted with that performance.

    7. The major issue of the last two seasons is Ryan Perrilloux being gone. He was supposed to be the starter. Lee and Jefferson should not have seen the field until they were experienced juniors and they would each have done far better, I am sure. Too many folks give all the credit to the players when we win, but place all blame on the coaches when we lose. It just ain't that simple.

    So that's about it. As long as Les is here and winning, I'm happy and I'm not going to undercut the program by constantly lobbying for his dismissal. We can discuss and complain about this or that, it's what we come here for. But endless negativity about the coaches, as if that is the only issue and a magic cure-all, simply bores me and makes the forum increasingly uninteresting.
     
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  8. lsudolemite

    lsudolemite CodeJockey Extraordinaire

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    Good points, but let me add two of my own:

    1. Nowhere have I said that coaching changes are a cure-all. Personally, I think it's a huge mistake to entertain the idea of firing Miles at this point. I do, however, think Gary Crowton has overstayed his welcome. Nevertheless, there are several troubling characteristics of recent Les Miles teams that are very concerning going forward, and it's delusional to pretend they don't exist. The intent of this thread is identifying the problem; fixing it is a very different matter, and it's often a much more difficult one.
    2. Winning, regardless of the quality of the opponent, cannot be the sole consideration for retaining a coach, especially one who pulls down as much money as Les Miles commands right now. If all our fans care about is a 10+ win season every year, then I have a very simple solution. Let's pull a Notre Dame and withdraw from the SEC. We'll then be free to put Tulane, UNO, Nicholls, ULL, LaTech, ULM, and maybe a couple of FCS schools on the schedule every year. It guarantees that we'll never come close to sniffing a BCS bowl, but hey, WE'RE WINNING, and that's all that matters, right?

    This is now the second straight year with no regular season wins over a team finishing in the Top 25. Almost doesn't count. That absolutely cannot stand next season to have any hope of going to Atlanta, and the sledding doesn't get any easier with the schedule. Miles did the right thing by cleaning out the defensive staff last year; I sincerely hope he'll do likewise for our offense.
     
  9. StaceyO

    StaceyO Football Turns Me On

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    I think Red's post is spot-on. I've always supported LSU, sometimes that meant I supported the coach and sometimes I didn't. I was more than ready for Archer, Hallman, and then DiNardo to all be shown the door.

    On this very board, there were a number of rumbles about Saban in his last year, which was a big disappointment coming off of a NC. We simply had zero momentum that year.

    As for Miles, I'm concerned about a number of things. Our anemic, inept offense must, must, MUST turn around in '10, and our defense needs to improve in getting off the field with more 3 and outs.

    We must beat quality opponents, and we must utilize our talent.

    One big improvement this year over last was the "Miles tenacity" in our team was back. What do I mean by "Miles tenacity"? His teams don't quit and they don't get blown out. Towards the end of '09, they were whipped puppies and did give up. But they didn't this year--though that bowl game was as uninspired as possible for 3 full quarters.

    Next year will be the defining year of the Les Miles era. In my mind, we absolutely must represent the SEC West in the SECCG. Anything less, and I fear we will be seriously slipping as a program. But, we will finally have a junior QB, though we lose lots in the RB and WR categories.
     
  10. Tom Callender

    Tom Callender Founding Member

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    I agree that Miles has won enough games since he came to LSU to let him slide a couple of years & even these last two years were not that bad in terms of wins per year. But - When you finish Last in the Conference in Offense & 110th in the Nation! I may let him slide but I ain't happy with the way things are heading.. That being said I think its a miracle that he won the games he did the last two years. He is to be commended for that. Hears hoping for a Much Better 2010 :geaux:
     

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