The "asking permission to talk" is BS

I always wonder, what if the school/Skip says no you can't interview him, he is under contract to work here.

They don't have to give persmission. It is strictly a courtesy.

Maybe that was a way to tell everybody that he is gone?

The strange element is that Mich has not contacted Bass, Miles agent. But LSU has. Mich asked permission, but set no timeframe for when they would contact, or interview Les Miles.

I am still pondering this event in which Mich never said it wanted Les Miles as coach. LSU never said that Les was going to Mich. Even Les never said he was going to Mich. When Lloyd retired the media jumped on Miles as the Mich Man apparent. Yet Mich has never said that is what it is looking for.

In fact, Lloyd was careful to emphasize that Mich greatest coaching success has come from non-Mich Men (Yost-KS, Crisler-OH-Wesleyn, and Bo-Miami of OH).

This interview is coming really early in this process (only two never-were-going-to-be's, English and Debord have been interviewed) that Martin said he hopes to complete by the end of Dec.

Something is not right here. Martin may be seeing Miles to tell him he is not the guy, do it privately and face-to-face, an interview out of respect but not to hire.

Powerful people at Mich want the Schembechler era to end. Miles is another caretaker of that legacy. There is a lot standing against Les Miles coming to Mich.

You're right, other schools don't technically have to ask for permission. BUT if they fail to do so they expose themselves to liability for third party interference with the performance of a contract.