Toughest decision in Michigan search might belong to Miles

The Les Miles era has begun at Michigan.

Well, "era" might be supposing too much. Miles at Michigan might be a brief flirtation or it could last the next 20 years. That's not to say Miles has the job or will get the job, but the LSU coach will have the attention of every Michigan Man (and woman) in existence until something is decided. Because with Lloyd Carr retiring on Monday, something has to be decided darn quick.

If he is truly the top candidate at Michigan, Miles has to decide which lifelong dream he wants to chase. Down one path is a potential national championship with LSU. Down the other is replacing Carr at the school where he played, coached and was mentored by Bo Schembechler.

If you're Les Miles, how do you say no to either dream and not regret it for the rest of your life?

It's likely one of those life goals is going to end no matter what. The office to Carr's office doesn't exactly have a revolving door. Michigan has had six coaches since 1938. National championship runs might come along once in a lifetime.

The man doesn't need a recommendation letter. He needs an exit strategy.

Miles can't even think about doing both jobs, not without things becoming extremely sticky. The assumption is that if Michigan were to pursue Miles they'd want him immediately, certainly not waiting until after the Jan. 7 national championship game. That's a month before national signing day.

And if Miles does work out some deal with Michigan that would allow him to stay through a national title run, would LSU want him to stay?

Les Miles said he was distracted by talking to LSU when he was still Oklahoma State's coach. (AP)

Charlie Weis tried to juggle both jobs when he was hired by Notre Dame three years ago. The head coach of the most famous football program in the world also was spending January coordinating the offense for the New England Patriots in their run for another Super Bowl. Look where that has landed Notre Dame. Weis' first recruiting class was rated a mediocre 40th. Three years later Notre Dame is 2-9. Get the connection?

Miles later admitted to being distracted as Oklahoma State's coach while secretly speaking to LSU at the end of 2004. The Cowboys lost to Ohio State 33-7 in the Alamo Bowl that year.

Nick Saban coached the Tigers in the Capital One Bowl that season after announcing he was leaving for the NFL. LSU lost on a last-second touchdown. Many fans said Saban shouldn't have been allowed to coach the team with his mind elsewhere.

Are we headed for the same confrontation?

Michigan AD Bill Martin: We want you, Les, but we want you now. There's recruiting. You've got to hire a staff.

Miles: How do you feel about me doing both jobs until after I get through with the national championship game?

Martin: Click.

Miles: Hello? Hello?

So much is involved here that it might take a mediator to work it out. If Miles leaves, the natural choice for interim coach is defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, who happens to be the No. 1 choice at Nebraska and might be the natural choice to replace Miles.

That's quite a love triangle.

"It's about holding onto a recruiting class," said Carr, who could have been speaking for all three schools. "If this recruiting class falls apart, four years from now there's a hole in Michigan football. ... It's about recruiting."

Carr gave conflicting hints as to where he leans on the matter. There has been speculation that Carr and Miles have clashed on the recruiting trail and that Carr might hold a grudge. The name mentioned most often is Jai Eugene, a defensive back who committed to Michigan before changing his mind and going to LSU.

"There are a lot of things that happen on the recruiting trail," Carr said. "It's a competitive business. Those are things you put to rest."

Then Carr went the opposite direction, suggesting the school keep its options open. After all, that was a former Missouri quarterback retiring in Ann Arbor on Monday. (OK, he played at Northern Michigan too).

"You remember a guy named Schembechler? He wasn't a Michigan man," Carr said. "Fritz Crisler wasn't a Michigan man. Fielding Yost wasn't a Michigan man. Bill (Martin) wants to hire the finest coach in the country."

Can't you tell this is not going to end comfortably? LSU has a lame-duck AD, the great Skip Bertman, who is headed for retirement. The next hire might fall in the lap of president John Lombardi, who hired Steve Spurrier at Florida in 1990.

That's another issue. You listening here, Spur Dog?

Miles is a Michigan man, but for brief stretches he has been more Andy Kaufman. For all of Miles' success at LSU, some of his coaching decisions this season have been curious to say the least. The defense, once so stout, has been strafed for 149 points by the past five SEC opponents. Ole Miss rang up 466 yards Saturday, the most since Miles' first game at LSU in 2005.

Miles gets it, though, if he is campaigning. Last week on a radio show, Miles said he thinks about what Schembechler would do in a given situation "about 100 times a year, three times a week."

What Bo wouldn't do is go off into the stratosphere at times. The man was tough. He wasn't loony in a what-is-he-talking-about kind of way. What was that junk from Miles about "f-----g Alabama" over the summer? Or disparaging the Big 12 (and Pac-10)? The Big 12 has two teams in contention to play LSU for the national championship. Should make for some nice motivation if Kansas or Missouri make it to New Orleans -- and if Miles is still there to meet them.

Fans can put up with a lot of eccentricity, though, when a coach loves a school as much as Miles loves Michigan. And wins games.

An empty seat awaits, if not an easy chair.