Hello and Goodbye

I have said for many years that as a talk show host it is not my place to call for a coach or administrator to be fired. I am not paid to make those types of decisions and I am modest enough to know that there is a better chance of me solving that whole space-time continuum thing than being consulted when such decisions are made.

That being said, I am a member of the opinion media and I am paid to have an opinion. And it is my opinion that Les Miles needs to cut his losses (and there were five of them this season) and fire defensive co-coordinators Doug Mallory and Bradley Dale Peveto.

I do not personally know Mallory or Peveto and have only observed them at practices (when the media is allowed in) and in game situations like any other fan. From what I can tell, they are honest men who represent LSU and the football program with class and dignity. Unfortunately, they can't coach a lick of defense. For an LSU program that built its foundation of dominance over the past decade on a concrete wall of a defense, the results in 2008 were shocking. Even after Nick Saban bolted from Baton Rouge for the Miami Dolphins, Miles's first major hire of Bo Pelini as DC worked like a charm. LSU finished in the top three in the nation in total defense each of Pelini's three seasons in Baton Rouge.

I also understand what LSU lost in personnel from the 2007 National Championship team: two senior corners (Chevis Jackson and Jonathan Zenon); an All-American safety (Craig Steltz); two senior linebackers (Ali Highsmith and Luke Sanders); and the greatest defensive player the university has ever produced (Glenn Dorsey). However, I refuse to believe that even with those losses, the 2008 LSU defense should have fallen to the depths it did. Twice teams scored 50 or more points versus LSU -- a first in NCAA history for a defending national champion. Lowly Arkansas had its highest point output against the Tigers (31) and even Mississippi State -- a team that battled Auburn to a 3-2 loss -- hung 24 on LSU.

If numbers are for losers, then these numbers explain why LSU lost five games in the '08 campaign: 37th in total defense (326.5 ypg); 66th in scoring defense (25.9 ppg); 81st in pass defense (220 ypg). The rush defense was the lone bright spot, finishing the season ranked 16th nationally allowing 105 ypg. Simply, this result should be unacceptable fora program that has come to expect championships and pays its coaches accordingly.

The silver lining in the cloud of doubt for Les Miles is that it is not too late to turn things around. Miles proved through his first three seasons at LSU to be an excellent judge of coaching talent in making key hires. Pelini was a fine fit at DC and is now a head coach himself. Bringing in Gary Crowton as offensive coordinator to replace Jimbo Fisher might have been the boost that put LSU over the top in 2007. The one bad hire Miles has made since arriving at LSU was Mallory and Peveto and I have confidence that he can and will remedy the situation.

That being said, here are a few of the names being mentioned as possible replacements at DC should Miles decide to make a change:

Greg Robinson
-Robinson was recently fires after four lackluster seasons as Syracuse head coach. He has previously serves as defensive coordinator on mack Brown's staff at Texas in 2004 and 14 seasons as an NFL defensive coordinator for the Jets, Broncos and Chiefs. The knock on Robinson is that even as a defensive-minded head coach, his Orange defenses were awful, finishing the 2008 season 100th in total defense and 101st in scoring defense .

John Chavis
-Chavis has been an assistant coach at Tennessee since 1989 and has serves as defensive coordinator for Phillip Fulmer since 1995. Aside from sending a herd of Vols into the NFL, the '08 Vols were at the top of the conference rankings in most defensive statistical categories and finished 4th nationally in total defense and 5th nationally in pass defense. With Fulmer out at Tennessee, Chavis is looking for a job and knows the SEC well.

Ed Orgeron
-While Orgeron proved to be an excellent recruiter at USC and Ole Miss, his coaching ability is lacking. He led the Rebels to only two wins over teams with wining records in three seasons and has led an underachieving Saints defensive line in New Orleans this season. Also, it is unlikely that Miles and Orgeron could coexist after battling for recruits for three seasons.

Jon Tenuta
-He gained national acclaim during his six seasons as defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech. Known for his attacking style defense, Tenuta joined the Notre Dame staff as a defensive co-coordinator prior to the '08 season. The results for the Irish have not been good: 39th in total defense; 42nd in scoring defense; 62nd in rush defense; and 30th in pass defense. Tenuta's future in South bend will likely depend on Charlie Weis's status with the university.