LSU coach Les Miles addressed reports that his job is in jeopardy on Monday, saying he won't deal with the issue before the end of the season. He associated the reports with others that proved inaccurate.
"(The media) had me in (another) job not long ago, too, as I recall. In fact, (they said I was) on a plane that I was not on," Miles said.
LSU has lost three consecutive games to fall to 7-3, including a loss to Alabama that knocked the Tigers from the top of the SEC West standings, prompting reports that the Tiger Athletic Foundation is prepared to pay a massive buyout of $15 million to part ways with its 11th-year coach. Miles won a national championship at LSU in 2007, but has won only one SEC title since (2011), and five consecutive losses to rival Alabama have rankled fans.
"If someone's asking me if I'm coaching for my job, I think I've done that for 11 years," Miles said.
LSU finishes its season Saturday another SEC West program that has seen high hopes fall hard, Texas A&M (8-3). And for Miles, there is no time for concern on his part about the speculation.
"I don't want to go there," Miles said. "I would not be doing my job as the head coach at LSU ... What is the future is, to me, after the Texas A&M game, a great game to be played in Tiger Stadium. I'm not going to find myself watching TV or reading papers. ... I'm going to go on to work. ... At some point in time, there is a 'me' in this. (But) not while I'm coaching."
Jimbo Fisher doesn't want to go there, either. Rumored to be a potential replacement for Miles, the former LSU offensive coordinator declined comment Monday when asked about the potential opening.
"I have no comment on that," Fisher said, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. "I have a policy. I don't speak about jobs. It's unfair to the players that are there, the players that are here, the coaches here. And there is no job opening. So I have no comment on that. That's a policy I have and I'm not going to comment on any job in any way shape or form."
If LSU truly wants to make a move, it would be wise not to wait long after the weekend.
The market for coaching openings is already a hot one, with searches underway from Southern Cal to South Carolina, and the midseason nature of those openings could help several schools to make an early move in securing some of the top candidates.
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