It was a game of “lasts.”
Saturday night at Tiger Stadium was the last game of the 2015 regular season. It was the last game in front a home crowd for 14 seniors listed on the LSU roster. It was the last contest long-time LSU radio broadcaster Jim Hawthorne called in Death Valley. The second quarter was the last period former Tiger running back Charles Alexander would be the program’s single-season leading rusher.
But it wasn’t the last game for the man whose future was reportedly in question. He tipped his trademark white cap to the purple and gold faithful before the game and was hoisted upon his players shoulders after, but neither gestures ended up being signs of goodbye.
After 143 games as the head man in Baton Rouge, Les Miles will remain the LSU football coach for the foreseeable future. Despite a difficult three weeks for the Tigers, all that mattered to many of the 101,803 in attendance was a 19-7 win against Texas A&M University and confirmation that Miles wasn’t going anywhere.
“It was a nice night,” Miles said. “Victory is always enjoyed, especially when it comes a couple weeks late. It’s nice to be the head coach at LSU. I am proud to be associated with a great institution, my colleagues, my coaches, my players and the president and athletic director.”
On the heels a three-game skid, the last week was anything but normal for Miles and his Tigers. He tried to keep everything routine but acknowledged the distraction he couldn’t keep away from the team.
They practiced the same, and Miles promised his focus was on doing his job. Nothing, though, could be done to avoid the massive cloud hanging over the program and him. Athletic Director Joe Alleva was silent, but the talk only became louder.
“It was kind of a distraction,” said junior linebacker Kendell Beckwith. “We tried our best to block it out, and let the people who handled it, let them handle it. But, man, I’m just glad we pull out the win tonight.
“I always had faith that he was going to be the coach. I never look at it no other way. I always had faith that he would be my head coach.”
Truly, players didn’t even know Miles was definitely returning until questions were asked after the game, but the night started as if it was the “Mad Hatter’s” last hoorah.
The team walked down Victory Hill to a massive gathering lining the sides of the road, a crowd Miles thought was equal to the size of the stadium. He then walked out in suit and tie for usual pregame meet and greet, this time meeting with many members of his family. The early arrivers in the student section chanted his name and gave him a standing ovation.
As more fans filed into the stadium, some held signs reading messages like “We Love Les,” “Fire Alleva, Not Miles” and “Just So You Know, Les Miles is LSU.” Prior to seniors being honored on the field, Miles stopped at the 20-yard line to acknowledge a thunderous Death Valley roar, a crowd reaction he said was unexpected.
With the game winding down and the outcome looking clear, the coach’s name continued to ring out throughout the stadium, including a “We Want Les!” from the student section. Then, the Tigers secured victory and his players propped him on their shoulders, a “scary” trip for the coach, carrying him toward left corner of the end zone.
He stopped a postgame interview with the SEC Network to sing the LSU Alma Mater at the top of his lungs. It all seemed like the Tigers had won one last game for the gipper, but then Miles finally received the news he was hoping for before meeting with the media.
“[LSU President F.] King Alexander said, ‘I want you to be our coach. You are our coach.’” Miles said. “Joe Alleva followed that up there after with, ‘I want you to be our coach.’ I said, ‘Magnificent.’”
But like Miles tried to do the entire week, his postgame news conference showed his normal humor and passion that he has exhibited at LSU for more than a decade, even if the circumstances were unprecedented.
“I just want you to know something, I love coaching football. It’s just tremendously fun to be a young man whose motivated, goal-oriented and wants to fight for victory. Frankly, I can lose sight of a lot of things around those ideals.”
Throughout it all, his players continued to show support and reverence for a man who has become a father-figure for so many.
As sophomore running back Leonard Fournette put it, a proud family-man showed his character.
“Like I said, he’s an even better person than coach,” Fournette, who broke Alexander’s record, said. “He asks about my family every day. Sometimes, during practice, I’ll make a long run, and I’m walking back. Out of the blue, he’ll ask me how Lyric is doing, how my daughter is doing. Those moments define you as a man. He’s not just worried about football – academic-wise, too, and with your family.”
But Miles realizes the speculation only started because his success in a competitive conference has dwindled through the last four seasons. He has a higher winning percentage than any other LSU coach, but it’s simply not enough in the eyes of many.
The expectation he’s embraced as the Tiger coach won’t allow for anything less than more banners.
“We seemed to undershoot our mark this year,” Miles said. “I agree with Joe. This is a team that should be playing for championships. This is something Joe wants to work towards full. I am right with him. It’s not enough to win occasionally. You have to win all the time, and I get that.
“The reason I came here is because the expectations are so high. I just love going into that stadium with 103,000 people that, in fact, believe you kick someone’s behind. Frankly, that’s what we think too.”