As if the college coaching carousel wasn't crazy enough, there's apparently a chance another Power Five team could have an opening at the end of the season.
According to Scott Rabalais at the Baton Rouge Advocate, there are "strong indications" LSU coach Les Miles' future could depend on the Tigers' performances against Ole Miss and Texas A&M in the final two games of the season. Yes, the same Les Miles whose team was No. 2 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.
Since that No. 2 ranking, the Tigers have lost at Alabama and at home to Arkansas.
From the Advocate:
It’s early yet, relatively speaking, and as can be expected, no one is eager to go public regarding Miles’ future at this point. But 25 years of covering LSU, cultivating a variety of knowledgeable sources, have led this writer to believe that there is a serious threat to Miles’ tenure here.
It's a crazy thought, isn't it? Miles is 110-31 in his career at LSU and has won a national title. Because of his success with the school, he has a massive buyout. Really massive. It's $15 million. The Advocate mentions the buyout and the fact that it may not be big enough to dissuade LSU boosters from chipping in to pay it if there's enough sentiment for a coaching change.
If Miles is terminated without cause before Jan. 1, he would be owed $15 million, payable over eight years (twice the time remaining on his current contract). His assistants would have to be paid roughly an additional $2 million for six months salary (thanks to the “Les Miles clause” in their contracts) for a total buyout of $17 million.
It’s a staggering sum, but apparently not a deal breaker.
Will these whispers come to fruition? We'll see over the next two weeks. But given that this is being discussed is further proof that there can always be a surprise looming around the corner in college football.
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