re: Is Ed O the best hire Miles has made at LSU?

I don't know if he was the best hire, but he was certainly the most coveted.

quote:

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The news broke shortly before LSU played No. 14 Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Wednesday night. The LSU community in Atlanta for the game was abuzz Tuesday night with speculation that Orgeron, a Louisiana native, could join Miles and form a powerful recruiting tandem.

LSU athletic officials tried to dampen enthusiasm over the Orgeron reports Tuesday night. The school cautioned the news was premature and said no arrangement had been finalized. Still, it was clear LSU was hoping Oregron would choose Baton Rouge.

Instead, Orgeron will join forces with Kiffin, who was hired to replace Phillip Fulmer in Knoxville. The deciding factor appears to have been money. While it was rumored LSU was willing to spend in the neighborhood of $500,000, it is speculated Tennessee offered Orgeron nearly $900,000.

There was no official announcement by Tennessee on Wednesday. It's the second consecutive year that LSU has been in Atlanta for an important game when rumors about its coaching staff have run rampant. John McCusker/The Times-PicayuneLes Miles and LSU had insisted that a deal to hire Orgeron wasn't done, despite reports to the contrary on Tuesday.

One year ago, when LSU played in the SEC championship game here, rumors swirled around Miles and the inaccurate announcement on ESPN that he was headed to his alma mater, Michigan. Miles called an emotional news conference before the game and said he was staying at LSU, finishing with, "Have a great day." It's an exit line that now adorns the rear of the Tigers' truck that carries the team's equipment to away games.

This time, the hot topic is Miles' coaching staff for next season. Early in the week, news broke that former Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis would accept the same position at LSU, and Tuesday night, word began to surface about Orgeron. LSU will be bringing Chavis in to work into shape a defense that underperformed under the direction of co-defensive coordinators Bradley Dale Peveto and Doug Mallory, whom Miles promoted when Bo Pelini became coach at Nebraska.

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He's been trying to get Orgeron for a long time.