That was 1 season and he made the changes after when he hired Chavis. I think you would be hard pressed to go anywhere and find a guy about to get strung up by his fanbase after winning a national championship, and I mean directly after. Did he deserve criticism? Yes of course.... But he didn't deserve to be lambasted. This guy has gone through more ish than any other coach I have ever known about and maybe it's because I am an LSU fan, but geez.
This tells me two things, if true... 1) Miles is as classy as they get. But we already pretty much knew that. 2) Miles wants to be here over anywhere else and the man truly loves this place. Name another top name coach that would say "I'm not worried about a raise, I make enough. Just don't be so fickle as to get me fired if we have an 8 or 9 win season occasionally, or if I have too many 'ugly wins'...These things happen sometimes, especially in the SEC."
Yeah but THAT is one of the seasons we're talking about isnt' it? You referenced him being in his office at THAT time, we're obviously not speaking about this year.
If he gets what he wants and is assured that he won't be fired after an 8 win season, does that mean he is still able to get extensions and pay raises?
He was given a hard time because of his blunders with time management and other missteps. Nobody just singled him out and said "Hey, let's pick on Lester for fun." It was/is an entire nation not just the LSU faithful that does it. If you travel outside the LSU bubble then it is easy to see how people really feel about Miles.
Until he solves the problem with this inept offense, I can't see how Alleva can give him a vote of confidence. Yes he did solve the issue on the defensive side of the ball, after totally flubbing it with his insane decision to promote not 1 but 2 guys from within as DC. Credit goes to him for fixing what he totally phucked up. But 3 years running and we have so semblance of a credible passing game? And no fix in sight? (i.e., after Jefferson's showing vs A&M, he's a lock to be our starting QB in 2011) I just don't see where a vote of confidence is in order for Les Miles. 11-2 is great, but that was an extremely flimsy 11-2. And the player most responsible for it is leaving, Patrick Peterson. It's the reality of the situation. That A&M game has obviously gotten people on cloud 9 with dreams of a 250 yard per game passer in Jordan Jefferson. That's not reality.
This is true. It was 2008 fresh off the title. Our defense sucked balls. Miles made the changes in the off season and our defense was pretty damn good in 2009. Our offense wasn't the issue in 2008. We had good numbers we just had a newbie who kept throwing touchdowns to the other team. 2009, 2010, our offense was stagnant. I think Miles has earned an opportunity to fix what's broken. And I think he will. After listening to Crowton talk the other day, really this season makes alot of sense to me, on the offensive side of the ball. Take Jordan Jefferson. It's obvious that after 2009 there was a huge emphasis put on the run and the read option. Jefferson struggled with this until after the West Virginia game, he started looked really good running the football. He regressed as a passer, and I think that is because they didn't emphasize the passing game in the spring, or in fall practices. When we opened it up and started emphasizing the passing game, Jefferson got better, Alabama in the 2nd half, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Texas A&M. That all being said. I don't think an 8 win season should get a coach canned. I think our coach, especially ours, a loyal guy, who loves the program, who recruits very well, and makes good hires. This guy may get knocked down for a season, but give him time and he will return the team right where we need to be.
That type of crap happens to all kinds of coaches all over the place. Yet when it happens to ours, it's national news. Saban blew a 24 point lead Auburn in the 2nd half. Even Alabama fans don't want to string him up. If Miles would have done that, he would be a goat. Saban does it, well..... Urban had a mirror year this season that Miles did in 08. Gator fans didn't want to push him out of the door. Hell Richt, has never won a damn thing nationally, and he is staying after losing to UCF. LSU fans just need to wake the F up, and realize you can't win a title every year. Attrition hurts, and you have to keep choppin wood.
