The Mike Archer hire

The players supported him, but the LSU decision makers also wanted to maintain continuity with a young, promising coach and a successful staff. It was a gamble, but not a wing-and-a-prayer gamble. It's not much different than when other good programs hired from within and were successful with promoting their assistants (Oregon with Chip Kelly, Clemson with Dabo Swinney, Oklahoma State with Mike Gundy, TCU with Gary Patterson, Stanford with David Shaw, Tennessee with Philip Fulmer, A&M with RC Slocum, etc.). Sometimes it works, and other times it doesn't. Obviously, it didn't with us. He was probably just too young and not ready. I think he was only like 33-34 at the time.

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Bill Arnsparger screwed the pooch recommending Archer.

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This.

Archer was smart enough but very immature. Since being fired by LSU he has never held another HC job.

ETA: Mike Archer is four months older than Les Miles.

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Bill Arnsparger screwed the pooch recommending Archer.

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. Arnsparger screwed the pooch when he left for UF after only 3 years at LSU.

He was widely regarded as one of the better up and coming defensive minds in the game at that point. He just could not recruit and actually managed to turn a bunch of HS coaches in Louisiana against LSU.

Still a little surprised he never tried for a HC gig again. Maybe he just realized it wasn't for him

"Archer took the LSU head coaching job, he was 34 years old, the youngest head coach in Division I-A football. Archer was chosen over a number of interviewed candidates, which reportedly included Steve Spurrier, Mike Shanahan, and Mack Brown."