• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

November 29, 2015, Queens, NY  Sometimes “Less is More” and in this case, “Les is More.” Much more. The powers that constitute LSU saw fit not to fire arguably the greatest football coach in the school’s history, Les Miles, who compiled the highest winning percentage in LSU’s history, (.776, 111-32-0).

Just 'Cause I Wave My Hand Don't Mean I'm Gone

Just ‘Cause I Wave My Hand Don’t Mean I’m Gone

(Bootsy did a song, “Sound Crack” and the lyric was, “Just ’cause I wave my hand don’t mean I’m gone.” Check out Les waving to the people. He’s waving his hand, but that don’t mean he’s gone. See the YouTube video. 1:08 for the lyric.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYHbRZ6T8_0

Miles received a hero’s welcome as he entered the stadium. A well deserved hero’s welcome. The LSU Tigers looked like world beaters for the first seven games but then lost three in a row. That’s when the naysayers and haters started plotting to remove Miles. It was rumored that they were ready to pay his $15 million buyout.

On the Shoulders of Men
On the Shoulders of Men

The media stood up for Miles. His fellow coaches in the fraternity expressed their dismay. The players wanted him to stay. But it was the LSU community and the community outside of LSU that expressed their displeasure that moved the movers and shakers to come to their senses and retain Miles.

Vice Chancellor & Athletic Director Joe Alleva
Vice Chancellor & Athletic Director Joe Alleva

Vice Chancellor and Athletic Director Joe Alleva made the following statement at the post-game press conference. “I made it very clear that my policy is to wait to the end of the season. And obviously it’s the end of the regular season right now. The season’s complete, and I want to make it very clear and positive that Les Miles is our football coach, and he will continue to be our football coach.”

Les is More
Les is More

According to ESPN College Football Insider Joe Schad,  the decision to retain Miles was reached in the third quarter. It dawned on the decision makers that Les was beloved and a pretty darn good coach. On a down year, his team was 8-3. They beat Texas A&M in this, the final regular season game, 19-7.

Miles can’t afford to rest easy. He should realize that his “superiors” really don’t want him. They were forced to retain him. His firing was becoming a public relations nightmare. The first chance they get, they’ll fire him. Les be weary, Les be quick. And in this case, Les is more.

Professor Clifford Benton can be reached at clifford.benton.

 

By Vernon McKenzie

Graduate of New Institute Of Technology with a BA in Communications with a focus on Television Radio. Owner and Executive Producer of PureSportsNY

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