re: Who has the leverage?

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I appreciate what Les has done for LSU but does Les realize what LSU has done for him?

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I can only assume the answer is yes. I'd also assume that same answer would be the one given by Nick Saban if he could muster and honest answer.

Saban saw LSU for what it COULD be, and he set out to helping to make it that. But, it took both parts...his skill and determination AND the resources inherent to LSU. Neither were doing it alone. Saban could not have made ANY program a national power, and clearly not ANY coach has been able to waltz into Baton Rouge and win the way fans today expect them to.

Miles is no different. it took both Miles skills AND the inherent advantages of the program to keep LSU at the level they have been for a decade now. Again...this program can not run itself...we've always had a talent laden state and that never was enough to bring us to where we are now. Like it or not, the guy has been VERY good while at LSU. So good, in fact, he's been at the helm of the only program in college football to win 8+ games for 15 straight seasons...last 10 of which are his.

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You can call him the greatest coach in the world.

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He's not, and I've never suggested anything like that. In fact, I don't recall anyone on here ever suggesting that. I think he's very good, and I base that on his success he's had winning football games here at LSU.

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I don't give a shite.

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Ok.

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He's not a great coach and we both know that.

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No...we don't. His record at LSU speaks for itself. A bad coach could not have pulled this off. Luck only goes so far. Your opinion here would hold more water if the guy hadn't resided over the longest stretch of success in our program's history, but he has...so you're just plain wrong.

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He's won more games in his time than any other

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Yes...he's won lots of games. that's what we're clamoring for, right? Wins? Lots of them? the most we've ever had? We have had that, and still no one was happy.

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He's had the highest paid staff for quite some time

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Ok.

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He's also had many of the best recruiters over his tenure.

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Frank Wilson has been invaluable, yes.

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He's not bigger than LSU and if he wants to leave he will.

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No one is suggesting he is or that he won't leave if he wants to. This is one of the biggest straw men floating around...as if there is some contingent of fans that like Miles more than LSU. That's ludicrous. I guess it may feel that way to some of you because many of you hate the man so much that you can only assume that anyone that likes him must have some ulterior motive, but it's just the case.

I like Miles...I love LSU football. Miles, like his predecessor, is a football mercenary. While LSU may have grown on him, he's not a Tiger at heart...and that's ok. Saban wasn't either. Coaches come and go.

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LSU will move on.

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Eventually yes, we will.

I think there are two key parts of this argument many of you fail to grasp. They are 1) Miles has been far better at his job than you care to admit. And 2) Those of us that point that out and also point to the fact that while it's certainly possible to replace him with someone that comes in an does EVEN better than the best we've ever had, LSU would be probably the first major college to hire three straight home run hires if that happened. That doesn't suggest Miles CAN'T be replaced or that he's some genius. Rather it points out that programs, even great ones, tend to stumble occasionally with hires. As much as we like to pretend we're immune, we're not.