Les Miles and Michigan Football: Why It's a Good Fit

Les Miles is Michigan's target—make no mistake about it.

While athletic director Dave Brandon scrambles through his files and pulls out "available Michigan men," it's become the worst-kept secret in Ann Arbor that they're batting their eyelashes at one of their own, the Boss of the Bayou—the wonderful Les.

Seems the sentiment these days is that the Wolverines need to make a big fat splash, a collegiate cannonball if you will, with this all-important football hire.

The way things were mucked up with the Rich Rod affair, something needs to go right for Big Blue. Oh, and yes, someone needs to salvage National Signing Day.

Miles is the target that is squarely in the sights of the Blue and Maize shooter's scope. He's the man, the Michigan Man, one of Bo's Boys, the guy who can straighten out this mess that Michigan football has become.

Is he a good fit?

He is if he will have the unwavering support of Big Blue Nation, something Rodriguez never had.

Who else can Michigan hire with a national title on his résumé? And that national title came after a 38-24 victory over, of all teams, Ohio State in the BCS title game of 2008.

Now there's a novel idea in Ann Arbor—beating Ohio State.

Miles came to LSU with some big shoes to fill—Nick Saban's—and he responded with a 62-17 record and a 5-1 bowl mark, including that BCS title win.

So you have to ask yourself, how hard will it be to get Miles out of the bayou?

He's been fairly unappreciated at times. Some call him "Lucky Les," and yes, he's had some nice breaks go his way. "I prefer to be lucky" is Miles' simple response to that.

There's been plenty of talk about him being on the hot seat. You look at what he's been able to accomplish, and that's got to make you scratch your head in amazement.

This season there was talk about lousy clock management. But that's a way of life for scores of teams.

What Miles brings to the table Michigan could certainly use a lot of. Miles has been able to keep LSU stocked with enough talent to compete in the talent-rich SEC. Who doesn't need more good talent these days?

What Michigan will need to land Miles is a lot of luck.

And there hasn't been much of that around Ann Arbor lately.