At some point, Michigan will have a new head football coach for the 2011 season and beyond, but apparently it won’t be Les Miles.
Culminating a week’s worth of speculation since Rich Rodriguez was fired last week, Miles has reportedly decided to remain at LSU. Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press, LSU radio network sideline reporter Jordy Hultberg and TigerBait.com are all reporting that Miles has turned down the opportunity to return to his alma mater and will instead remain at the Baton Rouge school.
Shortly after the reports emerged, LSU confirmed it. Miles is indeed staying in Baton Rouge.
“I am pleased to announce that Les Miles will remain the head coach at LSU,” said athletic director Joe Alleva. “Les has led this program to many great successes on the field and his players represent LSU well off the field. We look forward to many great years of LSU football under his leadership.”
Monday, it was reported that Michigan athletic director David Brandon and two other school officials met with Miles in Baton Rouge. It remains unclear whether or not Miles was offered the job during that meeting, although that appears to be the case.
As to where Michigan will turn now that they’ve been rebuffed by Jim Harbaugh and Miles, San Diego State’s Brady Hoke will likely be a name that gets a great deal of play in the coming days.
One thing’s for certain: Brandon swinging and whiffing on two coaches who were reportedly atop his to-do list casts a further pall over a football program still reeling from three years under RichRod. Especially when both of those candidates have deep ties to the university.