Dear Les Miles,
Can I call you Les? We have spent 12 years together, so I am just going to call you Les.
When I was 21 years old and enjoyed the tailgate culture of LSU more than one probably should, I knew nothing of football. Yet I would walk miles from my boyfriend’s fraternity house to tailgate after tailgate. I hydrated only with whiskey and beer. By the time the game came on I was the boisterous girl you either loved or hated. I never really paid much attention to the man calling the plays. I grew up, much to the relief of my mom. As I grew into the resemblance of an adult, I paid more attention to the game and less to the pre-game. At the helm of the game was you, a man named Les Miles.
It was 2005 when you stepped up to the plate, Katrina had just passed through our coast. You came in, and we wanted greatness. We had gotten a taste of the crystal ball that is the NCAA championship, and we wanted more. We needed a win. You gave us a 11-2 season, and a Peach Bowl victory your first year.
You were a different kind of coach. Just when I thought you were going to let us down, you’d call a play that had us yelling at our screens. Sometimes in anger, sometimes in excitement, but always disbelief. “Why would he call that? HOW DID IT WORK?!” I loved you for this. I felt like your Mad Hatter side was my spirit animal. I longed to be the girl that could upset the dichotomy of this world like you upset the dichotomy of college football.
You ate a blade of grass. You clapped like my toddler when she sees Elmo. You were our coach. You were our Mad Hatter. You led the LSU Tigers to a 2007 National Championship three short seasons after you arrived, and then you stuck around. Tiger fans were in love. Were you who we had been waiting for?
I’ve grown to be a mom since I watched you eat your first blade of grass in Death Valley. For the past 12 years I imagine you’d be the kind of guy I’d want to invite to family dinner. I imagine you’d laugh loudly with us and discuss boudin and smoking pork with the men. I imagine your wife would sit down with us as the kids escaped to the backyard. You like beer right? If not my husband has Swamp Pop in the fridge. None the less, I have always and will always be fond of you. I have always imagined you a good man. That sentiment was supported when I met my husband.
My husband has told me the story of how you looked at him when he was flying you back and forth to Oklahoma and Baton Rouge and said, “I have kids at home, just get me home safe.”
As the college kid, that’s not something I could have appreciated, but as the mom writing this letter to you, I love you for it.
It’s easy to forget at the end of a tough loss, you’re just a man, a husband, a dad. So I write this letter as a parent myself and as a born and raised Louisianan.
Thank you for being kind.
Thank you for 114 Tiger wins.
Thank you for a national title.
Thank you for a 13-0 regular season.
Thank you for 5 top ten finishes.
Thank you for humbleness and class. A rarity in athletics.
Thank you for being unapologetically yourself.
Thank you for embracing Baton Rouge and making it home.
Thank you for 12 amazingly fun years as the Mad Hatter. Your unpredictability is my favorite quality in you.
Les, you showed Death Valley what it means to Love Purple and Live Gold on and off the football field.
I don’t know where your adventures will take you after this, but if they ever need a pause, our home is open. We will cook some food for the family. We will even garnish your plate with a little blade of grass.
Sincerely,
Whitney
Yes, I too remember that magical first season, when he crushed everyone’s spirit by blowing a 21 point lead at home against Tennessee, right after Katrina hit. Our earliest hint of his stupidity was the time out he called after an interception, so he could “stop the clock,” apparently not realizing that the clock stops on a change of possession. It was a move so incredibly stupid that rapper Snoop Dogg even wrote a song about it. Consider that. Consider the enormity of that. It was so dumb that a major music celebrity wrote a fucking song about it.
Fortunately, he was able to fluke his way to the BCS title game, despite his best efforts to keep LSU out of it with two excruciating triple overtime losses to inferior teams. They weren’t the first excruciating, bonehead losses Les would force us to endure, and they certainly wouldn’t be the last. Oh, the memories
Whitney, you are exhibit A showing how women simply do not get it.
I couldn’t have said it better. As As a life long Louisiana girl l have appreciated Les Miles and been one of his biggest boosters. I know it is time to make a coaching change but why does it have to be so painful to lose the man who taught us to love him and pull our hair out by the roots at the same time.?
Thank you for saying everything in my heart about this man 🙂
Wow Whitney that just said it all. I’m going to miss Les too. I think I’m one way or another we all will. I also wish him the best. I hope he will continue to raise his family here. We love you coach.
What an awesome letter and tribute!
Les Miles is the winningest coach in LSU history in both the record books and in person. He reached out to my son during his battle with leukemia in 2007. Not a finer man and better ambassador than Les Miles. Before 2007 and before cancer, I first met Coach Miles in January 2005. We were at a middle school CYO basketball game at Sacred Heart Gym in Baton Rouge. In walks Les Miles after fresh off a big win in the LSU vs Miami 2005 Peach Bowl. Every kid in the place mauled him for autographs. I watched. He signed everything they brought him from napkins to hats, to shirts. And after 30 minutes when everyone had finally gotten their Les Miles autograph, he sat down to see his son play basketball for about 5 minutes. I saw that, that is Les Miles. So, I approached him at the close of the game and introduced myself to him. I told him I was an LSU alumni, and I saw what he did. I told him how good it is to have him as a Tiger. And in his goofy Les Miles kind of way, he said he was happy we invited him here to be a Tiger. It made an impression on me that I will never forget. And when my son got leukemia, I never knew that it would be Les Miles and his team that came to give my son that extra little bit of fight that lies deep within us all. The fight for life, the will to Fight Like A Tiger. Les is a great man, and he will always be a great Tiger.
My sentiments exactly…. it is a bittersweet moment for the Tiger Nation. A great man Mr. Les Miles ..not just on the field, but off. Thanks for sharing this publicly. I have several of my “friends” that have only heard the negative – so glad they see I am not the only one that knows Les is truly the best –
Well Said!!! I agree completely…. while it is time to move on, I do appreciation all he brought to LSU, he was always a class act on and off the field! Always a fine example to his players of how to conduct yourself as a representative of LSU! Best of Luck to Les Miles whether he choose to retire or go to another team he will always be welcomed back!!
You have very eloquently expressed my heart for Les Miles! I look forward to following your blog.
Exactly!
Dear Les, as the mother of a former player of yours who went on to the Pros, I humbly thank you for the class act that you are! You encouraged and fortified the “class act” tradition that we always worked so hard to instill in our son! Wins are great but losses teach greatness when handled with grace! They both make it easy to ‘ act like you been there’ and to exercise self control. You taught our boys to be fine men. You set an example of how to combine families and a work you love. You are truely a class act and a fine man and i greatly fear that the Tiger Nation will find it hard to replace you! You set a great tradition of winning and would have found the formula again. I love all that you were to our student-athletes! I wish you and Kathy all the best!
Well said Whitney !
THIS HAS HAPPEN BEFORE AT L.S.U. WHEN CHARLIE McCLENDON WAS THE COACH, NEVER HAD A LOSING SEASON, BUT THE MONDAY MORNING Q-BACK COULD NOT STAND IT…NOT ALL PLAYS GO ACCORDING TO PLAN…
MILES DID A GOOD JOB FOR 12 YEARS, LETS NOT FORGET THAT…
I AM AN TEXAN, LSU FAN AND I GO BACK WAY BEFORE BILLY CANNON…
MARCHARD & DOGGETT…
LETS ALL WISH HIM GOOD LUCK IN THE FUTHER….
You know I’m not a booster that gets to make the tough calls, so I can’t justify the decision to fire Les. He gave us some great years, even though as an arm chair quarterback, I didn’t agree with all of his decisions. I personally think that the boosters are still butt hurt, for letting Nick get away. So their decisions haven’t been in the true best interest of the LSU football program. I think it was more about them saving face. Not a smart move to fire Les in the middle of the season. They will still have to pay out his contract.
I truly believe that this was one of the classiest ways to bid farewell to someone. I agree with everything you said. Mr. Miles has raised his kids in Baton Rouge, made it his home. He will be missed. And others will say, that’s not the way the Mad Hatter would have done that.
The rebuilding faze, will not be a good thing for the talented men, already in place. And others will shy away from coming to LSU, because Les will be gone.
I for one will miss you Mr. Miles. And know that there are people who still support you.
Whitney,
You took the words right from my heart! Thank you for putting into words exactly how I’m feeling.
I’ve been on the verge of tears for 24 hours and they just spilled over!! It’s a “nice” cry … one I needed. As a girl, you understand.
Loving Purple, Living Gold,
Lori
Springhill, LA
Thank for this letter. In a time when ” winning” seems to take precedent over everything, you reminded us about what is truly important. I am not sure what all fans will remember about Coach Miles but one thing is for sure his players will remember the role model he was for them. At end in the the day, I still believe that is what teachers (yes coaches are teachers) in educational institutions are supposed to do.
I think your letter to Kes Miles is just what he needed after being fired from his job.
Beautifully said lady. Love me some Les Miles, I will be a fan of whatever team he coaches.Best of luck to Les and his family.
This is very well written and expresses so much of what I think of this man we called “Coach”. He is an incredibly spiritual man. We saw that when he called my nephew, Sid who was dying of childhood cancer. He prayed with him and continued to pray for him up to his last moment on this earth. I really couldn’t care less what kind of coach he is/was but I will ALWAYS care that this wonderful man took the time on MANY occasions to call Sid and continues to reach out to my brother and his wife to “see how they’re doing”. God bless Lea Miles and GEAUX TIGERS.!
Wonderful tribute to Les, the man.
Well said Whitney! My sentiments exactly!
I worked at LSU in Residndtial Life when Les was hired. He came to East/West Laville to meet the students. He brought his two youngest kids with him. One Ben who my son is playing football with at Catholic and then his youngest daughter. He was a regular guy, a dad who happened to be LSU football coach. Been a fan ever since and always will be. Great letter!!!!
Love this. Thank you. You said what I would say to Coach Miles. There will never be another like you.
awesome, thanks to your family and Les for making Saturday nights so eciting
He knew when he signed on the dotted line that this day would come…eventually. Still…it is so sad. He was such a nice person and the players loved him. We wish him well and will miss him.
Lovely tribute to a great man – I hope the LSU do not find themsevles in deep regret for ridding themselves of a really great coach that many universities would love to call their coach.
What a sincere tribute. I am much less articulate. Thank you for expressing how I also feel. LSU had a genuine, humble, good man coaching their football team. There will never be another Les Miles. As we say in our house, Les is more.
Can’t say it any better. So, so sad to see Les go!
Very well said. I too am one of the many fans of Les Miles. He will be missed greatly. I hope he will find happiness whatever and wherever he chooses. Wishing him the very best in life just like he gave us while at LSU
Whitney, I thought this is an excellent letter, I knew Les when he was an assistant at Colorado and always had great respect for him, he is everything you describe in your note. Thanks for taking the time to share.
You said it all perfectly Whitney.
Thank you
Whitney, your letter to Miles brought me to tears. I am not an LSU alum, but my grown children are and my husband attended LSU, also. So, by default, I have become an LSU football fan. Les Miles has been a part of our lives for his whole tenure as head football coach, and I have always defended him when others were Les “haters.” My heart is broken for him, but I know that he and his family are going to be fine and that his heart will always bleed purple and gold. I hope one day he shows up on your doorstep with his wife and family for dinner and that you will put a piece of grass on his plate and your children will do the “clap, clap, clap”! xoxo
I think you wrote so many things we all thought, felt, and feel. Maybe, probably, it was time for a change at LSU as the mechanics of football evolves, but there will be few coaches to leave a school with such respect from its fans. You nailed it!!
I love that you wrote this. I hope he sees it. I know many fans have been calling for his firing for quite some time now. Not me. I love him. I love his antics and tricks. I love his unpredictable play calls. I love that he truly cares about his players as individuals and wants the best for them on and off the field. But more than anything, I love his character. I love the kind of man he is and what he stands for. When rumors were swarming that he would be leaving us to entertain an offer from Michigan, he was quick to set the media straight that the focus should not be on him but on the players and the game. And then he did what he said he would do. He stayed. I love him for that. I am heartbroken that the powers that be have deemed him ineffective and have come to the conclusion that “changes must be made”. It’s not about losing a job. It’s not about his loss of income or what will become of him and his family’. I know they will all be fine. But a little piece of my heart left with him last Sunday. I will look forward to tuning in and watching him wherever this next chapter of his journey takes him. I will forever be a fan of Les Miles. I love you and you will be sorely missed in Death Valley.