In the wake of Hugh Freeze’s dismissal as the head football coach of Ole Miss, many names have been tossed around as his replacement, including Les Miles. And according to one report, Miles would jump at the chance to coach the Rebels, less than a year after being fired at LSU.
Responding to an article written by Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead in which he postulated that both Miles and Chip Kelly would laugh at Ole Miss if it came calling, Dan Wolken of USA Today offfered the following information.
This is, in fact, not the case. I'm told Les is extremely interested and has made that known to Ole Miss money folks. https://t.co/gLpZL1G5om
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) July 23, 2017
Though, as we’ve grown to expect from the respected Wolken, he had a bit more context to add to his initial comment.
Having said that, Les would be interested in any Power 5 job. There simply wasn't much of a market for him last cycle.
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) July 23, 2017
The only way Les makes sense is if the sanctions are going to be REALLY bad and you need a caretaker to get to the next coach https://t.co/XwG4arCCo8
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) July 23, 2017
Essentially, what Wolken continued to say on his timeline is that coaching is a young man’s game now. He doesn’t really think Miles is as appealing to big-time programs as fans do. And honestly, it’s pretty much on point, even though Miles did interview for a couple of openings since he was fired.
That said, given the NCAA’s investigation into alleged recruiting violations under Freeze’s watch, the program might be in deep trouble in the coming years. And if that’s the case, then as Wolken suggested, perhaps Miles is the perfect man for the job on a short-term basis.
And who knows? Maybe he could really help the program turn around, both on the recruiting trail and as it concerns wins and losses.