Just a few weeks ago, LSU was the Adele of college football with a string of wins and a dedicated fanbase. But after three consecutive losses, a lot of those fans turned their backs on their team and coach Les Miles.
Suddenly, LSU fans felt Miles was as detrimental to the football program as an Iggy Azalea feature is to a hit song. I-G-G-Bye.
These Internet trolls gained momentum when news that Miles would be fired leaked.
Despite the deafening speculation over his job security and the accompanying criticism online, Miles maintained poise that’s rare to find in any public figure. Miles tried to keep the focus on the players ahead of the Texas A&M University game when he, too, was likely unaware of the decisions being made behind closed doors.
If Miles was fired following Saturday’s game, he did a good job making sure LSU’s athletic program was going down with him.
In public relations, if you know you’re going to lose, you need to make the winner look bad for winning. And boy, did Miles make sure LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva looked like a tool.
Not to imply Miles wasn’t being genuine Saturday night. His behavior was an accurate reflection of the kind of man he is — one who deserves better.
The character Miles displayed at Saturday’s game made it clear he’s a class act who deserves better than LSU’s Athletic Department and the wishy-washy fanbase that accompanies it.
With numerous media outlets picking up on this story and tweeting out pictures of Miles being carried off the field by his players, it’s safe to say he has options should he ever leave LSU.
Several other football programs would kill for that publicity.
I think the Athletic Department’s current public image, Miles’ composure throughout this whole ordeal and the win Saturday all heavily factored into Miles not being forced out.
In fact, whoever handled the Athletic Department’s PR throughout this entire ordeal deserves to be fired. Their silence speaks volumes about the lack of values that apparently plague our school’s football program.
In PR, you’re supposed to remain as transparent as possible, and the Athletic Department was anything but.
The way LSU handled the Miles situation is embarassing. For the first time in my collegiate career, I’m not proud to be a Tiger.
Les deserves better than the way LSU handled this situation, and I hope the Athletic Department learned that.
John Gavin Harp is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from St. Francisville, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @SirJohnGavin.