While Steve Spurrier may not be around any longer to lighten the mood at SEC Media Days, Les Miles always delivers. As has become custom, the LSU coach detailed his offseason activities and travels to the media contingent.
But before he could offer some lighthearted highlights of his summer, Miles touched on the recent instances of violence involving police. LSU’s campus is about six miles from the site where Alton Sterling was shot and killed by police in Baton Rouge. Miles said he’s spoken to his team about the incident and other issues of social unrest around the country. Miles made it clear what he thinks – it’s time for some change.
“The tragic events in the last weeks have certainly taken the national spotlight, including in Baton Rouge. We’ve had several meetings. We met with the entire staff, and it was not about our roles as coaches or staff, but more or less who we were as people, and I wanted to listen. We brushed the surface of the issues. I don’t know that we got to the depth that we needed. I think that has to continue, certainly in our place,” Miles said.
“If you look to see change and if you watch the representation of our country on TV, you realize that change is necessary. And it comes through all of us, everybody in the room, certainly me. It’s inclusive. You reach for others. You need to be respectful of their life and their opinion and who they are. You need compassion for people. You build them up and you train them and you give them the best practices, and we change as a team and as a community and as a society.”
Miles said tried to communicate to his players that they – and sports in general – have a platform that can help spark change.
“Our guys have a platform where they could affect change. I think they’re wonderful men. I think they’re constantly involved in roles – they’re a student, they’re a football player, they’re role models,” Miles said.
“Commissioner Sankey did it really well on Monday. He said sport has a way to unite people, and I agree with him. And I hope that the Tigers do their best and that that happens in Baton Rouge, because Baton Rouge is home.”
From there, Miles brought the level of seriousness in the room down tenfold. How so? Well, he detailed trips to Cleveland for Game 6 of the NBA Finals (“The Cavs won,” he said) and Cuba (“Cuba is a communist country, and that was kind of the reason that I went.”) and gave reporters a key parenting tip.
“Never catch a son, pitcher, or female fast-pitch softball pitcher in flip-flops. Let me take it back. Flip-flops and a can. Because when you sit on the can, you put your feet on the can, and it’s an obvious position to be hit. So I broke two toes in my right foot catching her.”
Thank you, Les.
Muschamp preaches “win now”
Will Muschamp is no stranger to SEC Media Days. After one year as a coordinator at Auburn, the former Florida head coach is now running the show at South Carolina. The questions about his tenure with the Gators came early and often.
Muschamp was asked if it would be more difficult to win at South Carolina than it was at Florida, where he went 28-21 in four seasons. No, Muschamp said, because of the foundation left by Steve Spurrier before him.
“I think within a five-hour radius of our campus, we can recruit good enough players to win the East every year,” Muschamp said.
Muschamp made it clear, too. In his eyes, this is not a rebuild. He plans to win, and win now.
“I’m excited about the work ethic and buy-in and all it takes to be successful. I’m extremely excited about it,” he said. “There is no three-year plan, five-year plan. They plan to win now. Okay? That’s my mentality.”
The quarterback position is an unknown for the Gamecocks right now, but Muschamp said two guys – senior Perry Orth and true freshman Brandon McIlwain – “distanced themselves” during spring ball. Muschamp said the choice centers around winning games now.
“We’re going to decide who will help us win football games, who’s going to help us win games,” he said. “And there’s no timetable (to name a starter). If we have to play two guys, we’ll play two, but we’ll do what it takes to win.”
To ensure that success, Muschamp knows he needs to adapt from what he brought to the table at Florida.
“At the end of the day, we played well on defense over a four-year period (at Florida). Really, it comes back to offense, and that’s where, from a practice standpoint, to make sure we’re practicing the right way, whether it’s staff, scheme, decision-making, whatever, but that falls on my shoulders. So I’m taking full responsibility of that and making it better in this situation.”
Freeze talks NCAA, Kelly talks himself
The NCAA investigation involving Ole Miss definitely loomed over the press conference of Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze – and rightfully so. He spoke about it at length, addressing the elephant in the room right from the top.
“We fully have cooperated with the NCAA throughout the entire process, which has been a long process. We discovered most of the facts that led to self-reports and that’s how a good compliance office works,” Freeze said.
“You know, with them already being on our campus, we had to report many things that are a part of the Notice of Allegations that maybe typically just get reported and handled with self-imposed penalties. We believe our response to the Notice of Allegations stands on its own. As a head coach, I understand that I’m held accountable for the things that happened within our building and even outside the walls of our building.
“Our compliance team is working extremely hard to seek a resolution to this case and into the — and also into the events from NFL draft night and we look forward to the conclusion of this entire process. No one looks forward to that more than I do.”
Freeze also spoke one-on-one with our Pat Forde about the investigation.
Freeze is one of a few SEC coaches with the luxury of an established, veteran quarterback in Chad Kelly. Freeze said in his final seven games of 2015 – when he threw for 2,180 yards, 17 touchdowns and only six interceptions – Kelly was “really remarkable.”
And as confident as Freeze seemed in his quarterback, Kelly went beyond that.
“I’m the best quarterback in the nation.”
How’s that for confidence? Kelly explained it’s a mindset thing that rubs off on his teammates.
“You have to feel that way,” he explained, per ESPN.com. “In order to have confidence in yourself and team, you have to think you’re the best. That’s what I want our whole team – from offensive linemen to running backs – we have to think we’re the best players and the best team out there.
“I want to be remembered as the greatest quarterback that ever played.”
That wasn’t Kelly’s only eye-catching quote. He made sure to get a sheepish jab in at his former team, Clemson.
Chad Kelly taking a jab at his former school? The smile at the end says it all. pic.twitter.com/CCEgKxOSzb
— Justin King (@JustinKing) July 14, 2016
Clemson’s Memorial Stadium is popularly known as “Death Valley,” just like LSU’s Tiger Stadium. It’s clear Kelly thinks one atmosphere is superior to the other.
Kelly was dismissed by Clemson coach Dabo Swinney in April 2014 for “conduct detrimental to the program.” After a year in junior college, Kelly landed at Ole Miss and won the starting role at Ole Miss and threw for 4,042 yards, 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
