Analysis: A farewell to the chaotically brilliant Les Miles era at LSU
The firing of Les Miles on Sunday was eerily similar to the way that his final game as the head coach of LSU played out.
Based upon the players' reactions, it appeared that Miles and LSU had escaped the Plains with a last-second victory. But even in real-time, it was hard to ignore the fact that Danny Etling received the snap a fraction of a second too late. We all knew that the clock had run out on the Tigers, but we needed to hear the official confirmation.
In the hours following Miles' loss, the college football community agreed that the defeat was likely the final straw for Miles, but it wasn’t until the official word came down on Sunday from LSU president F. King Alexander that it began to really sink in ... the "Mad Hatter" had finally met his end.
As the leader of the Bayou Bengals from 2005 through last Saturday, Miles presided over 141 wins, two SEC Championships, a National Championship, and a winning percentage of 68.9 percent in conference play. He also helped the Tigers cultivate a ferocious persona at home under the lights at Tiger Stadium. Baton Rouge was always rocking at night and Miles' teams gave fans plenty to cheer about en route to an impressive 50-5 (91 percent) record during moonlit contests.
The statistics were impressive and so were the recruiting hauls. Between 2006 and 2016, Miles signed four top-six classes, according to ESPN. Miles led the Tigers to 11 consecutive bowl appearances, coached 13 All-Americans and turned down his alma mater Michigan, according to reports, not once but twice.
Miles, however, is unquantifiable, even with a sea of accomplishments, facts and figures surrounding his impressive run at LSU. It wasn't just that he won, it was how he won. His swagger and moxie rubbed off on his teams. His go-for broke attitude led to insane finishes and memorable gadget plays. He was also a veritable quotation machine. Nonsensical references, lectures on varying grass quality, and most notably a shot he took at a high school quarterback who slipped through his fingers come to mind.
"We needed a quarterback. We lost two. We needed a quarterback in this class. There was a gentleman from Indiana that thought about coming to the Bayou State. He did not necessarily have the chest and the ability to lead a program," Miles said of Gunner Kiel after the youngster decommitted from LSU for Notre Dame.
That quotation summed up Miles' ceiling. For what it's worth, he was right about Kiel, a journeyman quarterback with all the arm talent in the world and not enough poise to lock down a starting job at a Group of Five school. Unfortunately, losing out on Kiel was just one misstep in a long line of quarterback whiffs.
After JaMarcus Russell led LSU to a Sugar Bowl win over Notre Dame on Jan. 3, 2007, the Tigers began a nine-year run of quarterback mediocrity unknown to elite programs. The saviors came and went. Ryan Perrilloux, Jordan Jefferson, Zach Mettenberger, and Brandon Harris were all young signal-callers with All-SEC potential who never broke through.
During Miles' last few seasons the offense became incredibly stagnant, yet he begrudgingly stuck with his old friend and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. The two had coaching ties all the way back to Michigan in the late '80s and that loyalty ended up costing him his job.
His legacy is tied up in that coaching staff error. It was forgivable to lose to Nick Saban so often - after all, he'll go down as the greatest coach of his generation. But the fact that Saban evolved offensively, just as LSU was regressing on that side of the ball, makes it harder to minimize its impact on Miles' legacy.
In the end, Miles was the only consistent SEC West threat to Alabama's dynasty, and his theatrics, affability, and meaningful community service in the Bayou State is what fans will remember years down the line. Just like Steve Spurrier's abrupt exit last fall, the SEC is a little bit less entertaining without the Mad Hatter taste-testing the turf every Saturday. That's something everyone can agree on.