"There's arguably maybe no finer football program in the country being run.”

LSU’s Miles moves to land of expectations
By Brett Hait, [email protected]
August 03, 2005

Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban made national headlines last week after reducing rookie defensive lineman Manuel Wright to tears during a practice-session verbal scolding.

Saban’s intense and fiery style worked wonders at LSU, where he captured the 2003 national championship and coached five years before moving on to the NFL last winter.

Some tears might be shed in the LSU training camp this month, too, as new coach Les Miles arrives with much of the same mentality as Saban.

“When you get out on the field, both of them are very intense, love what they’re doing, are coaching you hard and want to win,” Tigers defensive tackle Kyle Williams said. “If you’re not getting it done, they’re going to let you know it.”



http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section_id=7&screen=news&news_id=43346

Only two years removed from a national crown, the Tigers still feature tantalizing talent and are picked by some to win the SEC championship this fall.

LSU fans expect nothing less, as Miles discovered during his tour of the state earlier this year. In more ways than one, Baton Rouge is a long way from Stillwater, Okla.

“The fact that we have some talent, the fact that this football team comes in expecting to achieve, certainly that's what we want,” Miles said. “That's what any coach would want. So I enjoy that. I don't have to convince anybody.”

Miles took over at Oklahoma State in 2001 after serving as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys and quickly infused energy into a moribund program. OSU posted winning years in each of the past three seasons and beat rival Oklahoma in two of Miles’ four years.

“What he accomplished at Oklahoma State in the short time he was in Stillwater speaks for itself,” former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman said.


“It takes some time,” he said. “You don't manufacture it. It doesn't all come together early. I think the feel that a team gets from its coaching staff comes on the practice field and experiencing game days.”

Unlike the rebuilding job Miles faced at Oklahoma State in 2001, plenty of skill and depth are on hand at LSU.

Sophomores JaMarcus Russell and Matt Flynn will battle for the starting quarterback job. The winner will be surrounded by a stable of impressive running backs, including Alley Broussard, Joseph Addai and Justin Vincent.

LSU’s collection of wide receivers might be the SEC’s deepest and most talented; the Tigers return players who accounted for 98 percent of their receptions and 99.7 percent of the receiving yardage in 2004. Junior Craig Davis is the headliner.

First-year defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, former head coach at Nebraska, joined Miles’ staff this year and should field a solid unit. Senior linebacker Cameron Vaughn and junior safety LaRon Landry are candidates for post-season honors.

Talent won’t be an issue for Miles as he tries to maintain LSU’s winning ways.

“I don't think that there will be limitations based on talent,” he said. “It will be limitations on other variables. … Certainly one of the reasons that I enjoy the opportunity at LSU is because of the success that Coach Saban had. The program is in great shape. There's arguably maybe no finer football program in the country being run.”

Welcome to Baton Rouge.

 

Thanks for the article.......

This coaching staff that Miles has assembled is really strong. I truthfully look for LSU to have a great season in 2005. It's just all in place.

 

I know he hasn't been there long or even coached a game but I love Miles style. He's handling everything thrown his way with clas. It wouldn't surprise me to see you guys win the SECCG this year.

 

I wish he would be more humble. It's nice to hear that we have talent and he thinks so much of it, but he really needs to tone it down. The team needs to work and not feel like they will win by just walking on the field.

That's the one thing about Smoke that I didn't like. A couple years ago when they had a good stretch of games he was boasting on how good the baseball team was... they ended up 2 and out in Omaha...

I'm not comparing Miles to Smoke, I liked how humble Saban stayed... didn't let the winning go to the player's heads. He always talked about how much they had to work on and they still weren't 'there'.

 

Yeah, but I don't want a Lou Holtz "Well, grandma and her bridge club are a fine squad, maybe the toughest we'll face. I don't think we're in their league" type coach.

Miles has set up his own situation if he fails. Old saying about writing check with your mouth that your butt can cover. From what I've seen from Miles at OSU coach and his time at LSU, he's gonna cover what he says.

 

I don't think he is being boastful at all. He's doing a fine job of dealing with the media.

 

If you look at the full context he wasn't being boastful and he wasn't overhyping the players. He was complimenting the job that Saban had done to create the program he's taking over:

Q. How do you deal with the questioning that comes up about Nick Saban and his kind of legacy and your place in kind of stepping in?

LES MILES: Well, certainly one of the reasons that I enjoy the opportunity at LSU is because of the success that Coach Saban had. The program is in great shape. There's arguably maybe no finer football program in the country being run. I enjoy the fact of two SEC championships, three Western Division Championships, two Sugar Bowls, 2003 National Championship, an annual bowl trip, that's what we would like to continue at LSU.

http://www.secsports.com/index.php?change_well_id=2&url_article_id=5986#lsu

 

not sure what reading comprehension classes you took but I might suggest retaking the ACT and scoring higher than a 9 on that level before returning.

lather, read, repeat.

 

dude get a clue...

This is a guy who when asked what the team needed to work on, he said:

"Offense, Defense, and Special Teams"

Yeah... our guys think they have it made thanks to a statement liek that...

clown...

:geauxtige

 

Frankly, I think he's showing confidence in his players. Hell, if I were a player that had endured 2-3 years of Nick Saban, then had a brand new coach come in and talk about how good he thinks his players are, that would definitely make me want to play my heart out for this guy. I would at least owe him that much for believing in me that much. I think his tremendous confidence in this squad is going to pay huge dividends in the end.