OK, so Les Miles didn’t leave LSU for the Maize and Blue of Michigan…I guess Chris Peterson is not headed to Baton Rouge now.
Miles shunning Michigan, raises numerous questions about the head coaching job in Ann Arbor. If he didn’t want the job, what are the issues keeping everyone away?
Michigan Man. Unfortunately, Rich Rodriguez set Michigan back in several ways. I believe the main issue with Rich Rod was that he was not viewed by the Michigan faithful as a “Michigan Man”. Being a coach who had never coached at Michigan before (West Virginia, Clemson, Tulane, Glenville St. and Salem), he never had the trust and leniency a head coach may have been afforded had he coached at Michigan earlier in his career. Never mind the fact that he was 60-26 at WVU, and his teams went to two BCS bowl games, winning both the Sugar and Fiesta…although the Fiesta was won with his players after he signed with Michigan days earlier and didn’t coach the game. Not being a Michigan Man apparently was too much to overcome.
Specific Scheme Players. Rich Rod also set the program back in another way that will take at least a couple years to overcome. As any coach would, he brought in players that fit his offensive and defensive schemes. His spread option offense and defense based primarily on speed players, both featured types of players not normally seen in the Big Ten. If Brady Hoke (more on him in a second) is to succeed in rebuilding Michigan into a proud football program again, he’ll probably have to do so by returning Michigan Football to its smash mouth ways. This style (not a finesse offense and defense) is what Michigan fans know…and love, but as George Harrison once sang, “it’s going to take time, a whole lot of precious time.”
Hoke is not exactly a Michigan Man (i.e. a graduate of UofM like Les Miles), he has at least coached in Ann Arbor (1995-2002) and was part of Michigan’s 1997 National Championship team. According to ESPN, as Defensive Line Coach, his unit lead the nation in rushing defense.
Hoke has turned around programs at his last two head coaching stops, Ball State and San Diego State. The Michigan faithful who lost a lot of hope over the last three years, are hoping he can do the same for the Maize and Blue.
(One note on Miles. Another reason he may have decided to remain at LSU is pay. In his contract with LSU, Miles has a clause that guarantees him to be the highest paid coach in the SEC. No matter how highly paid other SEC coaches are, Les Miles will always be paid one dollar more. Tough to walk away from that kind of pay…plus the competition and success of the SEC.)
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