College Football

FSU Football: Top Three Ways Les Miles Firing Helps FSU

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:26 a.m. ET

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Sep 10, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles congratulates Russell Gage (39) after a tackle against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks during the second half at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Jacksonville State 34-13. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

The LSU Tigers fired long time coach Les Miles on Monday after losing to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday night.

The LSU football program has crazy high expectations and those expectations were not being met by coach Les Miles.

Miles became the head coach at LSU in 2005 and had a career record of 114-34 and 8-6 in bowl games. He won national champion with LSU in 2007, and played for another national title in 2011.

However, the LSU program has fallen off since then with Miles going 39-16 since that loss. That’s a winning percentage of 71 percent folks.

LSU almost fired Miles last season, but decided to keep him on after courting FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher.

The timing of the firing of Miles certainly helps FSU. Let’s look at the top three reasons why the firing of Miles helps FSU.

Nov 29, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles mascot Chief Osceola rides Renaeade on to the field prior to the game against the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium. Florida State Seminoles defeated Florida Gators 24-19. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Timing

The timing of the firing certainly helps FSU. It’s no secret that LSU was interested in hiring Jimbo Fisher last season.

However, the timing of the firing happening in the middle of the season probably makes it even more less likely that LSU could poach Fisher from FSU.

Jimbo Fisher believes that FSU is one of the top destination coaching positions in the nation and is already seven seasons deep in Tallahassee.

Could Fisher leave FSU and go coach at LSU? Sure, they have tons of money and he was already the offensive coordinator there under Nick Saban. He helped Saban bring LSU a National Championship in 2003.

It would certainly be a place he would have interest if he wanted to leave FSU.

He’s already dealing with crazy expectations from the FSU faithful, so to go somewhere like LSU where it’s just as bad or worse is unlikely. Not to mention he would have to move his family(remember he’s a single dad now after getting divorced last year).

If the firing had come at the end of the season, Fisher may be more apt to think about the potential move.

Apr 9, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; A general view of the Florida State spring game at the Citrus Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Cam Akers

Cam Akers is a 2017 five-star recruit from the state of Mississippi and is ranked as the No. 2 running back in the country.

Akers is already considering FSU and has visited the campus multiple times. However, it’s hard to pull recruits out of the state of Mississippi.

Miles was a great recruiter, so you could never count him out when it came to keeping in-state talent home.

The firing of Miles helps FSU because Akers because the offensive coordinator of LSU was also let go. That places a ton of uncertainty on how the offense will be run next year. It allows FSU coaches to use that information to their benefit, and influence him to make the move out-of-state.

FSU has two running backs already committed for 2017, but Akers would be the best of the three and a welcome addition to the ‘Noles family with Dalvin Cook likely heading to the NFL next season.

Sep 5, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles fans react after a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Camping World Stadium. Florida State Seminoles won 45-34. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Marvin Wilson

Marvin Wilson is a five-star recruit that’s the No. 1 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 3 player overall in the 2017 class. Wilson is from Texas, but has visited FSU and worked out at camp.

LSU is in the mix along with Texas and FSU in the recruiting battle for Wilson. A team can never have enough players of Wilson’s caliber, so the changes at LSU could certainly help with FSU’s chances of landing him.

It looks like Texas may be in the lead with Wilson now, but FSU is still in the mix and it’s a long time until National Signing Day in February.

FSU already has to defensive tackle recruits committed in Ja’len Parks and Cory Durden. The pairs are high school teammates, and they have been actively recruiting Wilson to form a ridiculous defensive tackle trio.

One can’t count out LSU, but for now it may be one less program to worry about in battling to get Wilson’s services.

Sep 24, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher looks on from the bench in the second quarter against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Conclusion

It’s a tough situation anytime a coach loses their job. They obviously are human with families to care for, and they have players that they have formed relationships with too.

However, coaching at big time programs like LSU, FSU and Alabama come with crazy expectations and big salaries to help deliver on those expectations.

It’ll be interesting to see where LSU goes from here and who they try to pursue as their long-term coach. They have named defensive line coach Ed Orgeron as the interim coach.

Another thing to remember is winning isn’t everything, it’s also how you win. All you have to do is look at FSU’s season this year.

They beat USF by 20 points, but it still isn’t enough to keep the heat off FSU defensive coordinator Charles Kelly.

Do you think Les Miles coaches again? If so, where? If he doesn’t coach again, I bet he would be an entertaining guy in the booth providing commentary during football games.