Over a month ago now, LSU athletic director Joe Alleva made the decision to dismiss Les Miles. Ed Orgeron has stepped in and performed admirably in the interim head coach role, going 3-0 heading into this weekend's tilt with Alabama. All the while Alleva has been performing the beginning stages of a coaching search behind the scenes, evaluating Orgeron while also vetting other possibilities.
So many times during a head coaching search, you can't help but wonder what criteria the athletic director (or search firm) is looking for in the next leader of the program. Well, Scott Rabalais of The Advocate published a piece over the weekend that provided a glimpse into the criteria that LSU athletic director Joe Alleva is keeping at the forefront of his mind during their search for a new head coach.
According to Rabalais, Alleva is looking for eight criteria, and they include:
- He has to exhibit good leadership
- He has to have integrity
- He has to be able to motivate the team
- He has to have discipline and be accountable
- He has to have good organizational skills
- He has to possess adaptability, during a game and over time
- He has to be good at recruiting players and quality assistant coaches
- He has to exhibit good communication skills with players, fans donors, and the media
“It’s generally what I’ve always looked for in coaching searches. There are more, but those are probably the main things you look for in a coach," Alleva told The Advocate.
Anyone that has been through the interview process for a coaching job (as either an AD or coach) understands that there is so much more that goes into the process than this generic list, but it is more than most athletic directors are willing to divulge a lot of times.
Just after Miles was let go, we provided our take into the direction LSU's path forward. Stay tuned to The Scoop as we learn more.
Head here to read the full piece, including Alleva's thoughts on the timing of Les Miles' dismissal and if it provides them any advantages in a search.