Les Miles sidestepped any questions about his future as the LSU coach even though there are multiple reports that he could be fired shortly. At his Monday news conference, Miles started by saying he would be done speaking about himself "in about two minutes," then dodged queries asking about his future with the program and even referenced an errant report by ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit that he would leave LSU for Michigan to replace Llyod Carr nine years ago. "I don't want to go there," Miles said. "I would not be doing my job as the head coach at LSU, one I've enjoyed doing and a group of young men I enjoy representing.
"What is the future is to me after the Texas A&M game, great games to be played at Tiger Stadium. I'm not going to find myself watching TV or reading papers or doing anything but preparing the game plan, looking at the advantages we have and seeing if we can exploit them to victory." Miles said that national reports about his future have been wrong before and did not specifically reference any conversations he's had with LSU brass about his future with the Tigers.
Only a few weeks ago, LSU was second in the College Football Playoff rankings and running back Leonard Fournette was the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. Since then, the Tigers lost to Alabama for the fifth-straight time and then dropped games by double digits to Arkansas and Ole Miss. Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde reported Monday morning that LSU was "prepared" to part ways with Miles, whose reported buyout could be in the $15 million range. Other national outlets have similar reports. "There was a tremendously reputable national sportscaster who was the source of the information that was completely erroneous nine years ago," Miles said. "I'm going to go on to work. The question is valid, at some point in time there is a 'me' in this. Not while I'm coaching. This will always be about the players and the team." Asked if he met with any LSU administrators this week about his job, Miles said speculation about his job at this time is off limits. He said the information he has is "do your job as you would do it."
LSU has the top-rated recruiting class in the country and even without any five-star pledges the Tigers have six players with the highest four-star ranking in QB Feleipe Franks, DT Edwin Alexander, DE Glen Logan, LB Erick Fowler and DBs Eric Monroe and Saivion Smith. "We've made plans to tactically recruit our board," Miles said. "We go forward and obviously I'm the coach or something else happens and I'm not the coach."
Denham Springs, La., three-star defensive end Caleb Roddy said he plans to stick with LSU regardless of the coaching situation. "Still 100 percent LSU," Roddy said. "Unless they pull my scholarship that's where I'll be playing college ball."
Miles is 110-32 and 60-27 in SEC play during his LSU tenure but the Tigers finished 8-5 last season and had two losses apiece in the previous two years. LSU played in the BCS national championship game in 2011 but lost to Alabama. The Tigers won the BCS title in 2007 over Ohio State.
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