LSU Football: Jimbo Fisher was never an option to replace Les Miles

Jimbo Fisher was rumored multiple times to be the LSU Tigers’ top choice to replace Les Miles in 2015 and 2016.

In 2015, when Les Miles appeared to be running out of steam as LSU’s football coach, there were rampant rumors that then Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher was the Tigers’ top choice to take over in Baton Rouge.

The rumors made plenty of sense. Fisher served as LSU’s offensive coordinator from 2000-06. And he was one of only a handful of active head coaches (along with Les Miles, ironically) that had a national championship on his resumé.

But the Tigers made the decision to stick with Miles after 2015.

In 2016, when Miles was fired and Ed Orgeron was serving as the program’s interim head coach, Fisher’s name again surfaced.

It turns out that Fisher was never an option to replace Miles — at least not for former LSU athletic director Joe Alleva.

Alleva, who stepped down as LSU’s athletic director last April, recently gave a candid, telling interview to The Advocate. 

The former LSU athletic director told The Advocate that he would’ve never hired Fisher at LSU. In fact, Alleva says that’s part of the reason he kept Miles at the end of the 2015 season.

From The Advocate:

"“I could have made a change (at the end of the 2015 season). I recommended not to. Because I would have been forced to hire Jimbo. I would rather have had Les. But if I didn’t hire him, the outcry would have been ridiculous."

Alleva explained that he “didn’t want to deal with Fisher’s contract demands”.

I think it’s safe to say that Alleva, though he’s not a fan favorite, made the correct choice. Orgeron has far surpassed expectations. And he’s been much cheaper than Fisher would’ve been (just ask Texas A&M).

Sometimes the best moves are the moves that aren’t made.