Coach Miles is a good coach. I do not think he is an elite X&Os coach. However, he does many things right that he doesn't get a lot of credit for.

He hires good assistant coaches (with a few exceptions), and he takes care of those coaches. Even the ones that he gets rid of, he never really fires them. He helps them find other jobs first.

He recruits well. Again, I don't think that he is an elite recruiter because I don't think that he has the charisma (or ability to lie) like a Saban or Meyer to close the deal on some players. I think he is a better evaluator of character than talent. LSU's offseasons have been relatively quiet in terms of the arrests that you normally see at Oregon, Florida, Tennessee, etc.

He is loyal, sometimes to a fault. He has twice passed up "his dream job" of coaching at Michigan. He gave long time assistants chances to be co-defensive coordinators that put him on the hot seat. He kept Crowton around to long. He hasn't given up on JJ. And he used to appear to play seniors instead of more talented underclassman.

Most everyone agrees that Les Miles is a good man. Sometimes this can be a hindrance in the cutthroat business of college football, but I think overall, it helps him be as successful as he is.