Word is Les Miles

[Chin Diesel]

IF Miles is hired, the laughing from LSU fans of just wait for the Cam Cameron OC hire will be eerily similar to PPGDL laughter thrown our way from SU.

 

[UCweCONN]

I wouldn't be thrilled if Miles was the guy considering how it ended in LSU, but UConn has had far worse.

I know LSU grads and most thought Miles was a good coach and felt he got a raw deal. Had he have won the Auburn game that the lost because on review they didn't get the winning touchdown play off in time, he wouldn't have been fired. Miles would be my choice (or Moorhead). We'd get instant credibility. if we hired Miles.

 

[tjhusky]

Really hoping for Miles. He was a great head coach in the SEC. Not the ACC or AAC or FCS.

DB was an SEC guy.

Miles hasn't been crying in his beer. He is preparing for his next job. He wants to lead a program in 2017.

"I'm looking for a place dedicated to the players' achievement in the classroom and that wants to win championships," said Miles, who turned down television offers after his dismissal at LSU. "If there's an athletic director and president that wants to do that, I'm in line."

( Source: Miles mulling coordinators for '17 return )

This hire and would put people in the seats and get P5s to pay attention. We still need to win, regardless who is HC, but this would show we are serious about competing big time.

 

[ktuck911]

Edsall turns 59 before the Holy Cross game.... I guess this would make him our Bill Snyder?

Minus the offensive output

 

[whaler11]

Minus the offensive output

They can't hire Edsall as head coach. He'd need 3-4 years to get this ship back to 6-6. I'm a past president of the Edsall Apologista Club - it can't possibly work without the quality of coordinators Edsall hired. If you told me they brought Edsall back to the school as a consultant to mentor a young head coach I'd pop a .

Randy watching tape on players and providing insight on assistants - that would be tremendous.

I imagine the work he is doing for Detroit is well-received. They were supposed to be terrible and they might host a playoff game in two weeks.

 

[RedStickHusky]

From fish cakes and red pants to the grass-eating mad-hatter? How can you say he wouldn't be a cultural fit? We could certainly keep perfecting those fake kick scenarios.

 

[Ts5034]

If Les Miles will actually give Benedict the time of day to listen, you have to go all in. I also am confused how people on here are looking down on Miles and saying he is not good enough?? I mean no other serious candidate has a resume even close to Les Miles. The guy has been to two national championship games and he won it in 2007. He had LSU in a bowl game every year he was there and won 7 of them. If a candidate with that resume would take the UConn head football coaching job, you welcome him with open arms.

 

[Matrim55]

If Les Miles will actually give Benedict the time of day to listen, you have to go all in. I also am confused how people on here are looking down on Miles and saying he is not good enough?? I mean no other serious candidate has a resume even close to Les Miles. The guy has been to two national championship games and he won it in 2007. He had LSU in a bowl game every year he was there and won 7 of them. If a candidate with that resume would take the UConn head football coaching job, you welcome him with open arms.

Amen. He's the clear No. 1 choice if he wants the job.

And the thing is... something changed in the last two weeks to make DB decide to fire BD, right? Well, one of the things that changed is that the vast majority of P5 schools and the handful of G5 schools in our stratosphere re: AD spending all decided to not hire Les Miles. A man who very clearly wants to coach in 2017.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Edsall turns 59 before the Holy Cross game.... I guess this would make him our Bill Snyder?

Bill Snyder took over a team and program that was even worse than UConn (worst record in D1 history) and had 6 top ten finishes in the 90s. Edsall isn't close to being in that class.

 

[huskymedic]

Amen. He's the clear No. 1 choice if he wants the job.

And the thing is... something changed in the last two weeks to make DB decide to fire BD, right? Well, one of the things that changed is that the vast majority of P5 schools and the handful of G5 schools in our stratosphere re: AD spending all decided to not hire Les Miles. A man who very clearly wants to coach in 2017.

So... why do you think they all passed?

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Seriously...WTF dude...you are out of your mind! Step away from the bottled gifts you received this holiday season!

I think heroin still comes in little packets. Though, the OP may have taken enough to fill a bottle.

As for Miles, didn't he get fired for being too conservative? I'll pass, though Miles won't.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Only concern with Miles is his age and level of commitment to UConn if he came. He turns 64 next season so his coaching days are numbered. Also is he really ready at age 64 to commit to an AAC head coaching job that'll make him hungry for success?

 

[Matrim55]

So... why do you think they all passed?

Seems like pretty much everyone went with "hot young coordinator" or, in Purdue's case, "mid-major coach with winning pedigree."

Miles's best days are almost certainly behind him, which is a tough sell to lots of fanbases. To ours tho... I just want to be where we were a decade ago, with the hope for a little more, and I think the rest of us feel the same way. Get the basics right, play and coach with some dignity, don't lose stupidly, etc.

Miles would bring that at the very least.

Only concern with Miles is his age and level of commitment to UConn if he came. He turns 64 next season so his coaching days are numbered. Also is he really ready at age 64 to commit to an AAC head coaching job that'll make him hungry for success?

He can coach seven or eight years, get us rebuilt and moving forward just in time for CR and hand us off to a hand-picked successor if things go as well as they could.

There's no reason we can't be the preeminent G5 school in any sport we give a damn about. And hiring Les Miles would prove we give a damn about football.

 

[HuskyHawk]

So... why do you think they all passed?

He's old and he's a defense and running game guy. Oregon cares about its image. Crazy wild offense is that image. LSU fired him, so they couldn't hire him. UT got their guy Herman. Purdue got a fairly hot name in Brohm, former QB, pass oriented. IU hired an internal guy who helped their D improve. Baylor? Lucky to get Rhule.

I'm not saying he'd come here. But there wasn't an open job that fit for him.

 

[Matrim55]

But there wasn't an open job that fit for him.

Cincy. But I think they have a lower ceiling than us.

 

[noeynox]

So... why do you think they all passed?

I think Miles is great, but this fan base has had its fill of coaches trying to win games 14-10. Just not a fit for us. P had impressive resume when he came here. All time leader in wins in Big East history.

You need to score points in this conference. Every team puts up points in bunches.

Don Brown and Todd Orlando I could get behind, because they've coached solid defenses on teams with explosive offenses, so it isn't about ball control and field position with those guys.

 

[Ts5034]

Only concern with Miles is his age and level of commitment to UConn if he came. He turns 64 next season so his coaching days are numbered. Also is he really ready at age 64 to commit to an AAC head coaching job that'll make him hungry for success?

That could be looked at both ways. On the flip side of that, if you bring in a young OC or DC who is in his 40's, hes going to jump to a power 5 school as soon as he starts to win anyway, just like what Tom Herman did. Who knows? Maybe if Les Miles came here and turned us into an 8-9 win team in 2-3 years, that would put him at 66-67 years old and maybe a lot of power 5 schools wouldnt have interest in a coach who is pushing 70.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Cincy. But I think they have a lower ceiling than us.

But also a school like Houston and Oregon known for wide open offense and not P5. The reality is, like it or not, UConn is known for defense and running backs. We are a Les Miles type school. Lots of you guys want to run a spread. I want to win. If we win by blowing up the other team's offense and with a punishing running game and efficient passing offense, I will be freaking thrilled. 24-17 beats 52-46 any day in my book.

 

[Matrim55]

That could be looked at both ways. On the flip side of that, if you bring in a young OC or DC who is in his 40's, hes going to jump to a power 5 school as soon as he starts to win anyway, just like what Tom Herman did. Who knows? Maybe if Les Miles came here and turned us into an 8-9 win team in 2-3 years, that would put him at 66-67 years old and maybe a lot of power 5 schools wouldnt have interest in a coach who is pushing 70.

Here's the sell:

"Les, you've already won a national championship. You've coached in two of the toughest conferences in the country, you've put countless guys into the NFL. Now it's time to do something different -- now it's time to save a program entirely. Build us up in your own image, leave a legacy where you're remembered forever as the guy who made UConn football able to compete with the big boys, and when you're ready to hand over the clipboard, you'll basically be choosing your successor just like Jim Calhoun did.

"We know how to treat our legends right."

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Seems like pretty much everyone went with "hot young coordinator" or, in Purdue's case, "mid-major coach with winning pedigree."

Miles's best days are almost certainly behind him, which is a tough sell to lots of fanbases. To ours tho... I just want to be where we were a decade ago, with the hope for a little more, and I think the rest of us feel the same way. Get the basics right, play and coach with some dignity, don't lose stupidly, etc.

Miles would bring that at the very least.


He can coach seven or eight years, get us rebuilt and moving forward just in time for CR and hand us off to a hand-picked successor if things go as well as they could.

There's no reason we can't be the preeminent G5 school in any sport we give a damn about. And hiring Les Miles would prove we give a damn about football.

Miles had great talent at LSU and underperformed. Why do people on here think he will do well with significantly worse talent? We need a coach that overachieves...not underachieves. And saying he was a great recruiter at LSU means nothing at UConn. He was in a talent rich area in the SEC. I would prefer a coach who can recruit at a smaller school in a tougher recruiting area. The only way he would work is if he had a high profile, high dollar OC. That isn't happening at UConn.

I don't think he is a good fit here.

Oh...and "don't lose stupidly"...ask LSU fans about that. He was known for poor game management.

 

[Ts5034]

I think Miles is great, but this fan base has had its fill of coaches trying to win games 14-10. Just not a fit for us. P had impressive resume when he came here. All time leader in wins in Big East history.

You need to score points in this conference. Every team puts up points in bunches.

Don Brown and Todd Orlando I could get behind, because they've coached solid defenses on teams with explosive offenses, so it isn't about ball control and field position with those guys.

Yes, Pasqualoni had a good college resume when he came here, but at the time Hathaway hired him, Pasqualoni had not been a college head coach in 7 years and the game literally passed him by. Les Miles hasnt even been out of coaching for one season. I think hes still fresh

 

[whaler11]

Bill Snyder took over a team and program that was even worse than UConn (worst record in D1 history) and had 6 top ten finishes in the 90s. Edsall isn't close to being in that class.

Yeah I was just going with he was our high point - things went south - and if he came back and had success he'd be our Snyder. He's never had the success and is still way younger.... but it's not a common occurance.

 

[Ts5034]

Here's the sell:

"Les, you've already won a national championship. You've coached in two of the toughest conferences in the country, you've put countless guys into the NFL. Now it's time to do something different -- now it's time to save a program entirely. Build us up in your own image, leave a legacy where you're remembered forever as the guy who made UConn football able to compete with the big boys, and when you're ready to hand over the clipboard, you'll basically be choosing your successor just like Jim Calhoun did.

"We know how to treat our legends right."

Yes! Thats pretty much what I was thinking. I absolutely think Benedict should at least try and reach out to him.

 

[noeynox]

Yes, Pasqualoni had a good college resume when he came here, but at the time Hathaway hired him, Pasqualoni had not been a college head coach in 7 years and the game literally passed him by. Les Miles hasnt even been out of coaching for one season. I think hes still fresh

Good point, but P was coaching in the NFL, not exactly fishing for 7 years. The game may have passed Miles by while on a college sideline. Don't think he is a fit here. Can't Coach offense with 5 stats, but is going to do so with 2 stars. I have a hard time believing that.

 

[Ts5034]

Good point, but P was coaching in the NFL, not exactly fishing for 7 years. The game may have passed Miles by while on a college sideline. Don't think he is a fit here. Can't Coach offense with 5 stats, but is going to do so with 2 stars. I have a hard time believing that.

We'll see what happens. I think its probably a long shot but who knows? Coaching against Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Georgia every year is completely different than coaching against UCF, Tulane, and Temple. You cannot compare the competition that Les Miles faced when he was at LSU to the competition he will face in the AAC.

 

[Dove]

From LSU to UCONN. Yep, sounds like a place Les Miles will stay for 6 years or more.

I mean...not.

No Les. Yes, Moor.

 

[Walker11]

I am on record stating I would rather have JM than anyone else but Miles would bring an amazing buzz to UCONN. I follow LSU as my best friend is a die hard and I know his issues. For all the talk about Miles not winning with 5 stars, go check his winning percentages and track record. A lot of this is because of his recruiting prowess and I know LSU is light years more attractive towards recruits. But you are being measured against your peers and LSU isn't our peer. If Miles was simply able to land 3 stars with an occasional 4 star, he would be dominating our current peers in recruiting and ultimately in college football, talent rules everything. And I don't even think Miles would have a bit of interest in UCONN, I just don't get the idea to dismiss the guy out of hand when he won a freaking national championship in the past decade.

 

[Matrim55]

From LSU to UCONN. Yep, sounds like a place Les Miles will stay for 6 years or more.

I mean...not.

Any coach who has the kind of success we're all hoping for is likely to leave after a few years. We're a steppingstone program.

I don't think it'd be brilliant of us to rule out a potential hire because they might do too well.

 

[UConnfan8]

It's just beyond me that people are poo-pooing a man that has a national title after seeing Bob Diaco for 3 years. Madness.

 

[freescooter]

I wouldn't say never on Miles. Not like he is getting tons of offers so you never know. Kiffen for all the hype is going to coach one of the Florida Geographicals. Ohio has been coached by a guy who won a bunch of games at Nebraska. Schiano is D.C. at Michigan after being a head coach in the NFL.