My Email to MGoBlog (on Crazy Idea Re: Miles to Michigan)

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LSU fan here, just wanted to compliment you on the blog (first time visitor and all, yada yada...).

Anyway, I'm a regular over at TigerDroppings.com, should you care to see what we're saying on our end about Les Miles these days.

To my point: good find with your "Did LSU Give Up?" post, hadn't seen the article myself. I get the point you're making, but found myself with more questions than answers after reading your comments re: Tom Dienhart's TSN column from Nov 20.

Here are the questions:

1. I understand that the $1.25 mil buyout for Miles isn't a deal-breaker in and of itself, but is money more of a factor when this is coupled w/ the combined salaries of the ex-Carr assistants still under contract?

2. Recruiting: Who were the "stud" recruiters for Carr? The HC usually seals the deal with a recruit, of course, but the guy or guys who initially reels them in for Carr is still under contract at this time (correct me if I'm wrong). In short, *somebody* is managing recruiting at this time on some meaningful level.

3. Recruiting (part deux-assistants): A brief read of your blog tells me that Mike Debord is not welcome back, but surely some assistants are welcome still (like Ron English, I assume).

Sure, the next UM coach does not have to retain all or any of these assistants...but a Les Miles who is focused like a laser on his LSU team w/ a Jan 7 date for the title won't have the time or energy to flesh out his preferred 2008 UM staff. Since he can't get the staff he wants for 2008 anyway, why not use the one that's already in place?

What I'm getting at is this: the most painless way for all involved to (a) have Michigan hire Miles, (b) maximize his ability to (semi) properly coach LSU through it's BCS title game appearance, and (c) minimize damage done to both UM's 2008 recruiting and LSU's is to offer the job to Miles w/ the understanding that he'll retain solid, current UM assistants as part of his new UM staff.

Miles gets the job he wants and minimizes guilt related to distracting his LSU team. Retaining people like English who are in good stead w/ at least some of the powers that be in Ann Arbor could help smooth any anti-Miles feelings that exist in the UM universe.

It also allows Miles to salvage 2008 recruiting for his new team, as he can basically have an assistant(s) already in place serve as "interim recruiters"--guys who have been in contact w/ your current commits and those leaning your way for recent months and years anyway.

Miles does not seem the arrogant or insecure type when it comes to his assistants--he agreed to retain well thought-of ex-Saban OC Jimbo Fisher and he's brought on very prominent coordinators (Gary Crowton, Bo Pellini) who are excellent coaches in their own right. At worst, it'd be a one-year marriage of convenience that helps him have his cake and eat it, too (getting his dream job and winning this year's national title). He can bring in "his" staff after his first season at Michigan, if necessary.

LSU, in turn, could then openly search for a new coach while Les focuses (mostly) on winning the biggest game of his college coaching career. Not a perfect scenario for LSU, but it may be the least worst scenario for my school over the next 6 weeks.

If , as LSU AD Skip Bertman said, LSU is willing to allow him to see this thing through "the back end" (as Les says) of this current season and Michigan gets a damn good coach without putting its recruiting at extreme risk (and saves some $$ by having some or even most of the staff under contract work for the money in 2008), is this that much of a stretch?

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