After a meeting between Louisiana State University coach Les Miles and officials from Michigan’s Athletic Department, speculation is swirling that Miles may soon be headed to Ann Arbor to lead the Wolverines’ football program after the firing of former coach Rich Rodriguez.
LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette confirmed in an e-mail to The Michigan Daily last night that a meeting did take place between Miles and Michigan officials on Monday, but said he couldn’t provide any details regarding what happened in the meeting or who was present. However, the Baton Rouge television station WAFB reported that Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon and Miles met yesterday evening at Miles’s home in Baton Rouge, LA.
A source with knowledge of the situation told the Daily that there will be a players’ meeting today at 4 p.m. Brandon could announce to the team at that time who the Wolverines’ next coach will be.
ESPN’s Joe Schad reported on Monday, citing a source close to Miles, that the coach would accept the Michigan job if it was offered.
LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva released a statement late last night saying, “We continue to work with Coach Miles and we remain committed to keeping him as the head coach of LSU football.”
Miles and Brandon were teammates under the legendary Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler. Miles was later an offensive line coach at Michigan from 1987-1994, including three seasons under Schembechler.
When he was hired before the 2008 season, former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez became the first coach since 1969 to guide the Wolverines without having worked under Schembechler. If Miles was hired, he would restart the trend of Schembechler disciples coaching the Michigan football team.
Miles is the first-known candidate to potentially interview for the head coaching position. During a Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs meeting yesterday, University President Mary Sue Coleman said even she didn’t have an inkling of whom Brandon will select.
“No, I don’t know who the next football coach is going to be,” Coleman said. “I can promise you that the athletic director is working very hard and that he will do a good job.”
Miles was asked about potential contact with Michigan during a press conference early yesterday afternoon in which his star cornerback Patrick Peterson announced he was leaving for the NFL — Miles confirmed he would be meeting with Michigan at some point.
“If anything, we have a very distant conversation with representatives that would represent the school,” Miles told reporters. “I’m told we will speak at that time in a place that has not been identified, and it’s hard for me to speculate to the substance of that meeting.”
Last Friday, LSU trounced Texas A&M 41-24 in the Cotton Bowl, extending Miles’s career record in Baton Rouge to 62-17 in six seasons — including a 5-1 record in bowl games. And Michigan fans may celebrate the fact that Miles led LSU to a 38-24 win over Ohio State in the 2008 National Championship game.
After the Tigers’ win in the Cotton Bowl, a reporter asked Miles if it was his last game as LSU’s head man.
He paused, then responded: “It’s a wonderful place. I love it here.”
Brandon started his nationwide coaching search last week after announcing Rodriguez’s termination. Rumors have connected a wide range of candidates to the vacant position since then, from ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden to San Diego State’s Brady Hoke to Miles.
In his MGoBlue.com blog posted yesterday, Brandon warned the Michigan fan base to “not believe everything you read or hear” and called some of the reports “simply ridiculous.”
“I am sure all of the news reports are interesting for our fans,” Brandon wrote. “But I am too busy to follow the majority of the news except to hear some pretty wild stories about ‘where I am and who I am talking to.’ ”
Brandon added that the public’s expectation of a speedy decision was unrealistic.
“Some would suggest we should complete this national search in a matter of hours, but this is a critical decision for Michigan Athletics and it cannot and will not be made in haste,” Brandon wrote.