You are viewing this article in the AnnArbor.com archives. For the latest breaking news and updates in Ann Arbor and the surrounding area, see MLive.com/ann-arbor
Posted on Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 9:43 a.m.

LSU athletic director on Les Miles: 'I believe he was offered the job' at Michigan

By AnnArbor.com Staff

LSU athletic director Joe Alleva sat down for a question-and-answer session with the New Orleans Times Picayune.

Naturally, the first questions dealt with LSU football coach Les Miles and his level of interest in the recently filled Michigan football coaching job.

Alleva says Miles was upfront about his interest in Michigan, updating him four or five times a day. Why didn't Miles end up at Michigan?

"He was never going to be able to go to Michigan and be Bo Schembechler," Alleva said. "He couldn't be Bo Schembechler. At LSU, he could be Les Miles and leave a heck of a legacy here. In the long run, that's maybe what got to him."

As for whether Michigan, which eventually hired Brady Hoke, offered Miles the job: "Personally, I believe he was offered the job."

Comments

Tru2Blu76

Wed, Jan 19, 2011 : 12:58 p.m.

Some say Michigan can't win (fan approval) on this topic and others prove it by sniping and inserting their own preference / opinion AGAIN and AGAIN. How many times do they have to hear that Michigan not only doesn't dance to their tune but they don't even believe there's music to dance to? What part of: We are ignoring you - don't these folks understand? Personally, I think it might have been good if Michigan re-hired RichRod: as a figurehead who could be blamed, defended, speculated about ad nauseam. And AA.com could have a separate section titled: "What do you think about the Rodriguez... ?" This would immediately attract all the brain dead buzz-flies away from the Real News About Michigan section - which the rest of us would happily inhabit.

Tru2Blu76

Wed, Jan 19, 2011 : 12:28 p.m.

Forgivable but still a bit annoying: AA.com is going through the Post Thrills Period after Hoke was hired. They're filling space with articles like this: "featuring" what's already in the past. LM is old news: supposing he ever was news in this situation. But I sympathize because these AA.com reporters have to do SOMETHING between reporting on Brady Hoke, his staff and our football team. January is a cruel month. ;-) I'm just keeping myself occupied, imagining what it must be like in Schembechler Hall with Hoke building his staff and taking care of all the myriad details involved in being the HC at Michigan. Also: imagining what's going on with the Hoke family moving to Ann Arbor. That can be stressful in itself. I do hope they feel welcome and get plenty of help getting settled. I can imagine Mrs. Hoke or Daughter Hoke pointing and exclaiming: Oh, look, another person walking down the street just froze solid in their tracks!

Tru2Blu76

Wed, Jan 19, 2011 : 12:13 p.m.

I've got no qualms about Brady Hoke and I'm mostly neutral on what Les Miles did or didn't do, on whether Michigan offered or not. It's all moot as far as I'm concerned. What the LSU AD says is mostly for LSU people, Michigan people are interested in Michigan. But when someone says "Brandon lied" - I think that's moot too. AD Brandon made clear from the start that he'd heard "all he needed to" of fan input. Doesn't that imply that he was going to make public statements w/o regard to any imagined obligation "fans" were putting on him? Brandon's sole obligation was to get the best available coach for this football program: most real insiders tell us he did well and ask that we stop sniping AT everyone at Michigan who doesn't satisfy their personal demands, etc.

lawrencelaundry

Wed, Jan 19, 2011 : 3:33 a.m.

If DB knew it was Hoke from the get go, it would have been announced about 6 weeks ago. Im sure he was not 1st choice.

jcj

Wed, Jan 19, 2011 : 1:57 a.m.

Maybe he was and maybe he wasn't. One thing for sure this was an easy self serving comment from LSU athletic director Joe Alleva. He makes LSU look better and if he is wrong he can always say he thought that was the case.

1st Down

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 10:28 p.m.

BTW...here is some interesting reading on the Hoke Hire from a man who's job it is to evaluate potential coaches for various programs: MICHIGAN SCORES WITH THE HIRING OF BRADY HOKE Sam Obitz / January 13th, 2011 / No Comments ยป A couple of months ago I was hired by a major university to vet several candidates for their soon to be open head football coaching position. I went through the normal channels, talking with a number of players, coaches and others who had worked or played with them and against them. It didn't take long for a few of the candidates to emerge from the rest of the field. Perhaps surprisingly to some of those reading this, the bigger names on the list all came out below several of the lesser known candidates. Not surprisingly, two of the coaches who came out at the top of my evaluation are now the head coaches at the University of Michigan and the University of Miami respectively. <a href="http://supertao.com/2011/01/13/michigan-scores-with-the-hiring-of-brady-hoke/" rel='nofollow'>http://supertao.com/2011/01/13/michigan-scores-with-the-hiring-of-brady-hoke/</a>

1st Down

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 10:23 p.m.

Pure spin from LSU.... typical SEC, its all about them and how great they are. After seeing how this was handled, Im pretty certain that Dave Brandon hired the right coach. Go Blue.

devildog

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 9:51 p.m.

OK, let's think about this. They spend two weeks dealing with Harbaugh and Miles and NOW UM says they never offered either one the job. UM cannot win on this one, if they wasted that precious time with recruiting and did not offer a job - that makes no sense. And if they did offer, what sense does it make to deny. This is a lose-lose situation for the administration at UM. I think it is becoming clear why some candidates did not want this job. Is this an honest administration - and beyond that why make a statement that you did not offer a job, you look stupid either way. This is not a pretty sight. I am beginning to feel sorry for the new coach, the people who are suppose to be in charge - are stupid.

missionbrazil

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 11 p.m.

How do you figure they took 2 weeks dealing with Harbaugh and Miles ? The search was completed 6 days after DB fired RR, and DB did everything the way he stated he would. Also, the vast majority of former players &amp; coaches, and the current players, and the majority of fans believe that DB got it exactly right when he hired BH. So how are the people in charge &quot;stupid&quot; ? (also, check out the link in 1st Down's post below to see what Sam Obitz thinks about the hire)

rightmind250

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 7:52 p.m.

RudeJude: By that logic, UM is officially NOT a destination school. Its alright though, Brandon only had to offer it to 4 coaches before he finally got a taker.

RudeJude

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 8:21 p.m.

Not necessarily. I think that could easily be implied though, as the national media seems to hold that view. I think it is LSU pushing themselves up, off of Michigan's back, saying &quot;Look at us. Now, we are better than Michigan.&quot;

heartbreakM

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 6:20 p.m.

Well, obviously, Les Miles did not want the job. I think their AD should just shut up and let Miles talk for himself, much as I thought Brandon was out of line for saying what Harbaugh was going to do or not do. Nobody will ever be another Bo, Woody, Perles, or whoever, but people make their legacy. The AD's comments in my opinion were classless and stupid. I personally was upset that Miles and UM did not work out, until Hoke appeared on that podium and proved he belonged (for starters). I wish Miles well, and hope he succeeds. I know he bleeds blue, also, but sometimes, the timing just does not work out for your dream job, and moving his family would have been a huge strain. Even for his alma mater. It's not like he is football hades down there.

D21

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 7:56 p.m.

They (LSU) have to say something to justify the extension to Les. Les created this &quot;mess&quot; to his advantage.

BlueSince62

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 6:07 p.m.

Yesterday's rumor, not even news! BH is using words and concepts that aren't even in LM's vocabulary, nor RR's. I am relieved we didn't end up with LM, for the second time.

David Vande Bunte

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 6 p.m.

I tend to think that Dave Brandon did NOT offer Les Miles the job. Look at the facts. If anyone would know whether or not Les was offered a job, other than Les Miles himself, wouldn't it be LSU's athletic director? If Michigan did offer Miles a contract, wouldn't that be something they might have discussed before LSU re-upped his contract again? It isn't like it would have needed to remain a secret once Miles turned it down, what reason would he have to lie to the athletic director? If its about the money, Miles would have used the job offer to his advantage, in order to get LSU to pay him more. But, the LSU AD would know whether Miles was offered a job or not. I think the LSU AD is lying. I think he knows Miles was NOT offered the job, that Dave Brandon talked to him about his opinions on Brady Hoke and other candidates we don't know, and that he is using that meeting as a way to pacify the disgruntled LSU fans. LSU fans are torn about Miles. Some like him, some want him to go. But if the LSU AD can tell the fans that Miles CHOSE to remain at LSU, that Miles demonstrated that he is loyal to the Tigers, even over his alma mater, that would calm some of the anti-Miles crowd down a little. He is telling a white lie to appease the masses.

devildog

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 9:52 p.m.

If UM did not offer a job - they wasted a lot of time and probably lost good recruits - a dumb move and I do not think the administration is being honest

D21

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 7:55 p.m.

Les is telling the big WHOPPER! Nuff said.

D21

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 5:27 p.m.

One can only wonder what made LSU add another 3 year extension and goodies to Les and the other fact that LSU said UM offered Les more than his current LSU salary. We should be aware that LSU wouldn't have done that extension to Les unless Les showed them the proof that UM offered him. It could be Brandon is merely helping Les out in extracting more from LSU. Still, I know LSU is telling the truth as it not only came from their AD but from one of their regents as well. GO BLUE!

Yelmonian

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 5:25 p.m.

Yep... Brandon never &quot;officially&quot; offered the job. He just parked his plane down there in Baton Rouge, had a little gumbo, to kill some time on his way to visit Hoke.

michboy40

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 5:03 p.m.

Who Really Cares?! Even if he was offered, he did not accept. We have Brady Hoke now and he clearly wants to be here more than he wants to be anywhere else. This article is only meant to stir the pot and give the haters a forum to continue punching us while we are down. Interesting that this article is posted by &quot;Staff&quot;. No beat writer wanted their name attached. AA.Com can really suck some times. (I'm almost certain this lst shot will get this comment booted, but it deserves to be said.

Jim Knight

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 6:10 p.m.

michboy40: As the headline and brief note, this information is from the New Orleans Times Picayune, not from an AnnArbor.com staff report.

Blue Marker

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 5:18 p.m.

I'll agree it's a dead horse. However, it's worth printing because someone is not telling the truth. In the end it doesn't matter but I still find it interesting. I personally don't believe LM was offered the job because if he was he would have taken it, IMO. But it is time to move on...that's for sure.

TX2AA

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 4:46 p.m.

So, if you were running a big time football program and your head coach position had an opening, your list of potential candidates would look like this: 1) Hoke 2) Harbaugh 3) Miles 4) Fitzgerald/ G. Patterson or any other rumored coach. Fail.

The1Cool

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 4:37 p.m.

I like what Brandon said after the &quot;interviews&quot; when he stated sometimes the hype doesn't match the person. I'm not sure if he was referring to Harbaugh or Miles or both. Would be nice to know what, exactly, he was referring to.

Ben

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 4:37 p.m.

We are still beating this dead horse? Come on AA.com!! LM used his alma mater (hello: RR) to achieve a better deal. He's just as snaky as RR, we don't need him. We have our coach and now I wish that all these reports of &quot;LM said this&quot; or &quot;JH did that&quot; would stop so that our recruiting class can be salvaged. Negativity affects recruiting.

81wolverine

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 4:13 p.m.

&quot;Why didn't Miles end up at Michigan?&quot; Simple. Like David Brandon said - he only offered the job to one person. Brady Hoke. He didn't want Miles in the end. Either he was too old, had too much baggage, had a weird hair color, who the heck knows? All we DO know is Brandon met with him and discussed something - it could have been where to get the best dinner in New Orleans for all we know. I agree with others that LSU was bringing this topic up to get some Public Relations mileage out of it. Other than that, let's all move on. The Les Miles ship sailed a long time ago.

missionbrazil

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 4:09 p.m.

I'm with P U MSU on this one. Before we hired BH I was one of the ones that thought LM would be a good choice, but it is obvious that he didn't really want to come to UM that badly, if at all. Plus it appears that he is more about himself and his legacy than anything else. Who cares whether he was offered the job or not. It is clear that with BH it is all about the players, the team, and the program, and it is not about him. BH is the man !

rnich231

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 3:40 p.m.

Of course they flew to Baton Rouge and offered the job and obviously he said he would rather be water boarded than take over a losing program with no recruits.

Blu-n-Tpa

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 3:35 p.m.

T@w sounds just like tater. You can have an opinion but calling someone a liar is a leap based on conjecture, since you weren't there. I could easily phrase a sentence talking about salary without offering someone the position.

MichFanTex

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 3:25 p.m.

Oh snap, I guess your reading comprehension skills need an overhaul, Timeatwork. How did you make a leap from an opinion being a fact? Fact, David Brandon said he offered the job of head coach to one person, Brady Hoke. Opinion, the AD from LSU (a third party not present during any talks between DB and LM) said he believes otherwise but offers no proof.

timeatwork

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 9 p.m.

so its ok for you to say that Joe Alleva is lying. but its wrong of me to say that dave brandon is lying??? right.

RudeJude

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 3:12 p.m.

LSU is keen on advertising the alleged point that Les Miles turned down his alma mater and more money to stay in Baton Rouge. LSU would not be talking about this old news if they didn't have a point to make, the point being that LSU is officially a destination school. Their pride was hurt after Nick Saban won the Title and bolted, ultimately, for Alabama. Now, LSU can claim its head coaching position is no longer a stepping stone, but a college football-coaching peak yearned for by coaches. We'll have to wait and see what happens after Les Miles leaves to see whether that is the truth.

P U MSU

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 3:04 p.m.

I take this with a grain of salt. I do not think he was offered the job. He is obviously a &quot;me&quot; guy. I cannot speak for everyone, but if he was offered the job, I am glad he turned it down. I think we got our guy in Hoke.

timeatwork

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 2:55 p.m.

oh snap! you mean hoke wasn't the first choice? that other people were offered the job first? that michigan got turned down? that Dave Brandon lied during the press conference??? who would have guessed?

ArthGuinness

Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 3:19 p.m.

It's amusing how quickly people take anything as fact, if it fits their worldview.