A Rant Against LSU And 20 Leadership Quotes To Honor Les Miles

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Brian Dodd on November 28, 2015 in Sports Leadership

 

There are widespread rumors today will be the final game for Les Miles as LSU’s head football coach.  If this is the case, it is a crying shame!
As a person who values leadership, I am stunned by the lack of appreciation and insight of those making the decisions for the football program. The following is just a portion of Coach Miles resume:

• 2007 BCS National Champion
• 110-32 record.
• The best winning percentage of any coach in the LSU modern era of coaching.
• He is an institution at LSU.
• As of this morning, Rivals.com rates LSU as the #2 2016 recruiting class in America.

What are the people at LSU thinking???!!!
Let me just say this as a HUGE fan of Head Coach Mark Richt of the University of Georgia, if we show an equal lack of appreciation to Coach Richt, I would welcome Coach Miles with open arms to Athens!  LSU decision-makers need a broader perspective than simply beating Nick Saban.
To those making these personnel decisions at LSU, it is shameful and disgraceful how you have handled this and treated a grown man who has given your university so much.  You need to ask Tennessee what happened when they showed a similar lack of appreciation for Phillip Fulmer.  They have never recovered.  Appreciate what you have while you have it.  I still remember the Gerry Dinardo era.
Sadly, I see this same thought process in the Christian, business, government and non-profit sectors as well.  There is an epidemic of leaders not being appreciated.  Where is the gratefulness for the excellent work and sacrifices made?  The grass is rarely greener on the other side.  It is just sad and a sobering reminder to all leaders we may one day be in a similar predicament.
In appreciation to the institution that is Coach Miles is, the following are 20 Leadership Quotes From LSU Head Coach Les Miles:

1. “Ted, damned if I’m not impressed with your candor.” – on an interviewer’s appreciation of Erin Andrews
2. “When I wake up in the morning and I turn that film on, it’s like reading a book and it’s exciting.  I don’t read books, but if I read books but it would be like reading a book.”
3. “There was a contact between a football player and a cheerleader, male I might add.  That male cheerleader clipped me from the side as I was running full speed or slower than full speed, but generally in the upper quadrant of speed.  And I hit the ground pretty good.”
4. “I got a championship game to play, and I’m excited for the opportunity of my damn strong football team to play in it…Please ask me after.  I’m busy.  Thank you very much, have a great day.”
5. “Game is played on the field.  Not chatrooms.”
6. “Let’s not confuse Columbus Day with St. Patty’s Day or some other more noteworthy day like President’s Day, etc…”
7. “I call all my recruits on their landline telephone.”
8. “I rappelled down a building.  I don’t know that that was all it was cracked up to be.  It was tall.  It was up there.”
9. “20 years ago there was not a policy on Twitter.  You know what, 20 years ago there was not a policy on Facebook.  You know what, I bet you that 20 years ago no one doing a Harlem Shake, you know what I mean?”
10. “Somebody gave me the magic.  They said there’s 500 million on Instagram, whatever the hell that is.”
11. “It’s kind of like saying, before they had cars, I’m not allowing any of my players to drive cars.  Why?  Well, I like the old buggy.  It’s safer.  The horse is a problem, but as long as you keep the horse pointed in the right direction, you’re OK.” – on banning social media.
12. “Here are the three spots where the cupboard needs a little improvement for us to do the things we need to accomplish: One of them is on offense, one of them is on defense and one is special teams.”
13. “I don’t know that you block things out in the scope of magnitude of loss here.”
14. “We had families of our players staying in the dormitory with them, and still do.”
15. “I love doing this,…Because I get to remember, again.”
16. “Why don’t we fly like the birds?…Why don’t we just fly?”
17. “Spectacular group of men.  You go find them.  You throw your arms around them.  You give them a big kiss on the mouth if you’re a girl.”
18. “The grass at Tigers Stadium tastes best.”
19. “Winning is a thing inherent with how you were raised.”
20. “Some guys don’t have the great decision-making process just yet, but eventually they’ll be very quality husbands, fathers, businessmen.  They just need to outdistance their youth.”

Coach Miles, if this is the end of your tenure at LSU, thank you for all the memories and great work at LSU.  May you be as equally successful at your next assignment.  Have a great day!