LSU hires Steve Ensminger

Steve Ensminger, a former starting quarterback for LSU, has been named the school’s tight ends coach, head coach Les Miles announced on Thursday. Ensminger, a 1982 graduate of LSU, played quarterback for the Tigers under head coach Charlie McClendon from 1976-79. Ensminger played in three bowl games at LSU and has followed that by coaching in 10 bowl games as an assistant. “We’re excited about having Steve join our staff,” Miles said. “He comes to LSU with a great deal of coaching experience in the SEC and he knows Louisiana very well. He’s demonstrated expertise in coaching on the offensive side of the ball and he gives us a coach who will be very valuable in recruiting. “He’s also an LSU guy, which just reinforces that this is the right hire for us.” Ensminger comes to LSU after serving as an assistant coach at Auburn from 2003-08. Ensminger spent the 2009 season as the passing game coordinator at Smiths Station High School in Auburn, Ala. – Bayou Bengal Insider

Les Miles on LSU Hot Seat?

Skip Bertman was asked before speaking at the Louisiana State University at Alexandria athletics banquet Monday night if it was fair to say that LSU football coach Les Miles is on the “hot seat” for the 2010 season. “No,” said Bertman, the Tigers’ former baseball coaching legend and former athletics director. “Criticism? Absolutely, positively, because he’s making a lot of money. But hot seat? No.” Before speaking to the LSUA baseball and softball teams, other school officials and fans, Bertman tried to put in perspective the most recent decade of extraordinary success in LSU football compared to, say, the 11 previous years when LSU’s record was 58-65. “Then came (Nick) Saban, and then came Miles,” he said. “These are the best 10 years we have ever had — five years with Saban and five with Miles. When you win two national championships and you’re winning 10, 11, 12 or 13 games a season, the fans expect that annually. “And the problem with the (Southeastern Conference) today is that it’s better than it was 10 years ago. Not to take anything away from Saban, but when Nick did it, it was easier to do than when Les did it. All the schools in the league have expectations that are so high so that you’ve got schools paying coaches $3 and $4 million, and they all have better facilities.” Miles’s salary is $3.95 million, and he has drawn criticism from fans, media and former LSU players over the last two seasons, when the Tigers went 8-8 in the SEC. Much of the criticism has been for time management problems and persistent offensive penalties. – Town Talk

LSU holds onto John Chavis

Mark Richt made a good run, but John Chavis has decided to stay put at LSU. LSU officials confirmed Thursday that Chavis’ deal at LSU will be sweetened after hammering out a new agreement with Chavis on Wednesday night. Georgia had offered Chavis a three-year deal worth at least $600,000 annually to be the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator. LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said Thursday that the Tigers did what they needed to to keep Chavis, who earned $450,000 in salary this season — his first at LSU. Keeping Chavis is a coup for the Tigers, whose defense improved substantially on his watch this season. They’re ranked 12th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 16 points per game. But more importantly, they regained their edge under Chavis, a no-frills guy who’s done it at a high level now in the SEC for the better part of the last two decades. – ESPN

John Chavis doesn’t refute Georgia rumors

How serious is LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis about the Georgia defensive coordinator’s job? Well, he’s not really saying. At least, not with the Tigers set to take on Penn State in two days in the Capital One Bowl. Chavis was asked two different times Wednesday at a Capital One Bowl press conference about his interest in the Georgia job and/or whether or not he expected to be at LSU next year. Both times, he essentially gave a lengthy no comment and certainly did nothing to distance himself from the Georgia job. “I’ll be happy to talk about our players and about this bowl game,” Chavis said. “Beyond that, I really want to leave it like it is.” Several people close to the situation contend that Chavis has emerged as Mark Richt’s top choice and that it’s his job if he wants it. The Bulldogs are prepared to pay $600,000 or more per year and would give Chavis a three-year contract. He earned $450,000 this season at LSU. – ESPN

Larry Porter Leads Memphis Search?

Well placed sources at Memphis tell Football Rumor Mill that LSU running backs coach Larry Porter has emerged at the leader in Memphis’s search for a new coach to replace the fired Tommy West.

In the early stages, it appeared MTSU coach Rick Stockstill would land the job. However, he pulled out and decided to stay in Murfreesboro. In the meantime, a schism developed among the powers at Memphis. It seems AD R.C. Johnson wanted Porter, while other prominent boosters wanted to move in another direction.

Sources indicate this morning that it appears Johnson is winning the battle. More to come from Football Rumor Mill…

Rodriguez likely okay at Michigan, but what if he’s not?

I agree, he’s not a good fit. From nearly the day Rodriguez arrived in Ann Arbor, a significant faction of Wolverines fans simply hasn’t liked him, whether because he’s not a “Michigan Man” like Les Miles, or because he runs that new-fangled spread offense, or because he’s got a “twang.” Throw in all the backlash from West Virginia, the lawsuits, the potential NCAA infractions, and it’s clear there was only one way he could have won people over: to start winning, and in a hurry. That has not happened. That said, I’m still 90 percent certain he’ll get another year. AD Bill Martin has been outspoken in his support, albeit in sometimes bizarre context. (Paul Johnson? Not a good comparison. Though SI appreciates Martin’s readership.) Martin has already announced he’s retiring next September, and I doubt he or school president Mary Sue Coleman will want to stick his successor with a brand-new coach not of that person’s choosing. Furthermore, many of Michigan’s present problems can be directly attributed to the high amount of attrition that occurred during the transition from Lloyd Carr to Rodriguez. Another coaching change would only prompt more defections. As for Harbaugh, there’s no doubt he’d be a great hire, but I’m hearing the Michigan brass hasn’t yet forgiven him for taking shots at his alma mater’s academic standards two years ago. However, if this time next year Michigan still sits in the bottom half of the Big Ten, a call will almost certainly go out to one of its own — if not Harbaugh, then the formerly coveted Miles, who, in SEC life-span years, may well have worn out his welcome at LSU by then. – SI.com

LSU coach Les Miles decides ‘to take high road’ on controversial SEC call

This time, no one is talking and no one getting fined — at least for now. LSU Coach Les Miles said he will not reveal what the Southeastern Conference office told him about a controversial replay call in the Tigers 24-15 loss at Alabama on Saturday. And the SEC, whose officiating crews seem to come under fire every week, will not confirm or deny the ruling according to associate commissioner Charles Bloom. “He wants to take the high road and stay out of this,” LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette said. Miles spoke to SEC coordinator of officials Rogers Redding on Monday about the replay official’s failure to overturn a ruling on a play that appeared to be an interception by LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson. Miles did say the view of the two field officials closest to the play was blocked by Peterson from behind and by another LSU player in front of the play. – Times-Picayune

SEC coaches defend Urban Meyer

While the debate continues over whether Florida quarterback Tim Tebow should already have been out of the game when he was injured against Kentucky last week, coaches of several of the Gators’ biggest SEC rivals defended Florida coach Urban Meyer on Wednesday, saying they don’t see a problem with Tebow or other starters still being on the field with a 24-point lead. “I think obviously this is about whether Tim Tebow should have been in the game or shouldn’t have been in the game, but 31-7 in the third quarter is not a game that’s out of reach,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. LSU coach Les Miles said a head coach has to make the best decision for his team, players and what he feels is best to win the game. – St. Petersburg Times

Lane Kiffin, Urban Killer?

But whoever believed the Urban-killer would be Lane Kiffin? Yeah, that Lane Kiffin. Yet, that’s what happened the other day in the Swamp and it might have been the most significant development of the year in the SEC. There is another one developing as well: Florida may not even be the best team in the SEC (more on that in a moment). With the whole world watching, Meyer appeared to be a mere mortal Saturday in the most ballyhooed 30-point mismatch in world history since David vs. Goliath. Meyer’s team may have won on the scoreboard. However, Meyer’s biggest loss as a coach may have occurred when he was unable to wipe the smirk off Kiffin’s face. Gator fans cheered in the wake of the victory, but deep down, most probably left the Swamp disappointed and frustrated. Kiffin was the first person CBS wanted to interview after the game. Have you ever seen the loser interviewed first after a college football game? Kiffin just started running his mouth and trotted away happy as a lark. Asked later in the locker room about his famous utterance of singing Rocky Top all night long after beating Florida, Kiffin quipped: “We didn’t hum but I will come back for the basketball game with Bruce,” Kiffin said, referencing Bruce Pearl, the UT basketball coach who has a 7-1 record against Billy Donovan, who also has two national titles in Gainesville. And while Kiffin continued to play his role as the mouth of the South, Meyer was the defensive one. At 45 years old and one of the most feared coaches in the game, he suddenly looked old and over the hill. He parsed words. He acted truculent. He looked like a loser instead of a winner. Was this Meyer’s frustration with himself, his team, the pressure of being unable to grant his fan base their fervent desire to beat Kiffin by 50? Or was it the realization that his football team just ain’t that great? If the mighty Gators had to struggle against mediocre Tennessee, a team that lost the week before to UCLA at home, how are they going to fare in three weeks at Tiger Stadium or against Georgia or against Alabama on the first weekend in December in Atlanta? – Mobile Press-Register

LSU pays Tulane $700,000 to end series

The mutual agreement between LSU and Tulane to end their football series came with a sweetener: $700,000. That’s what LSU paid Tulane to forego the final six games of a 10-game home-and-home series that will end Oct. 31 in Tiger Stadium, LSU associate athletic director Verge Ausberry said Thursday. LSU also will pay Tulane $650,000 for the game this season as part of the original contract. LSU wanted to play the remaining games in Baton Rouge or end the series for more flexibility in scheduling name opponents. Tulane would not agree to playing all the games in Baton Rouge and is in the process of filling the opening with other foes. – Times-Picayune

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