The comment by Ronald Anderson of the Board of Supervisors that Les may be fired even if he wins the last two games is unacceptable. Anderson should step down immediately. Failing that he should be removed. No way do you go public with such a comment the night before a big game with a coach that can still take his team to the Sugar Bowl. Moreover, Les is a class act and deserves better than this. Any such discussions should be behind closed doors. Les deserves no less. In addition to not being fair to Les, it's not fair to the players. Also shows the program in a bad light, like its being run by a bunch of yahoos. This is an embarrassment to the University. And if Les is dismissed, Aleva should follow him right out the door for giving Les an 15 million dollar buyout clause. This is a terrible reflection on our society's values that we pay a mere football coach 15 million dollars. Is Les curing diseases or feeding the world? 15 million? Really? And while the boosters are raising money for a buyout, how about raising an equal amount for academics and offsetting budget cuts. And maybe fund a scholarship called "Education? Oh that's right... we are a University." Someone said Harvard is a hedge fund with a University attached. This makes LSU look like a football team with a school attached.
L'aissez faire? Merci non! Poor Miles. Guess he'll have to curl up in mounds of money and try too keep himself warm.
It wasn't the right thing to do, but that's what happens when you're so hard headed for so long. Miles prehistoric offense has driven many people crazy and they're lashing out. I think a lot of people have had enough. It seems some in power are in that group. I still hope he makes the necessary changes and stays, but the number that does dwindles with each disaster of a game. Is it too late for Miles to hang on? We certainly don't know here, but if it is he only has himself to blame. Eleven years is more than enough time to find a QB and an offense that isn't one dimensional. As far as the buyout and coaches salary part of your post, football helps fund the university. You don't want to lose your cash cow by letting someone herd it off a cliff. Is Les feeding the world or curing disease? No, but some of the millions football gives the academic side of the university is.
If he is on record saying that, then yes. That is beyond bush league. We can argue the merits of Les' contract on whether Alleva got rolled by the Arky rumors, but it's reflective of the reality of big-time college athletics: an arms race. We're paying what the market demands for a top coach. If you don't believe me, look at Alabama, who by far spends more on football than any other SEC school. LSU has an agreement in place for the AD to kick back $7.2M/yr to the academic side. In July the AD announced that it paid $10M this year. If you want to place blame on anyone, blame the people who dutifully pay their TAF fees every year to stay on the season ticket waiting list, but would never dream of making a voluntary donation to the university. The people buying tickets, merchandise, and everything down to tailgating supplies all contribute to Les' $4.5M/yr. It's up to them to place a priority on academics. LSU also finds itself in the unenviable position of being one of roughly a dozen 4-year public universities in a state that's always broke, with a size and population that only needs half that number. But that's a whole discussion unto itself.
Anderson is a Jindal appointee. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...es-miles-future-hot-seat-job-status/76162932/ http://www.nola.com/news/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2014/06/jindal_reappoints_4_members_to.html
I doubt he retires and leave $15m on the table. None of us would unless there was a health related issue or something to that extent.
-IF-Les is done, maybe something could have been worked out behind closed door for an amicable parting. I'd like to see some investigative journalism into how the Board of Supervisors got involved in this. Did Alleva approach them? Did they approach Alleva? Does their mandate extend to football? Even if it does, this needed to be done behind closed doors. Let's say LSU wins out. How can you fire a sugar bowl winning coach without looking like yahoos? How can you even have broached the topic in public? Les is now undermined. This will be used against him in recruiting. Other schools will point to this when recruiting the same players. New, good, assistant coaches won't want to come here. If Les wins out and stays, his authority needs to be reestablished and I see no other way to do that than by firing Alleva and shaking up the board. Otherwise we are taking a hit recruiting.