Have to admit, that's the first time I've seen the phrase "coaching prowess" in the same sentence with Les Miles' name. Maybe you're right and he's a great coach - but that's not the conventional thinking. Most consider him a great recruiter and motivator, and someone willing to take chances when others would not. Those are his strengths. X and O stuff, scheming, managing a game, understanding where the game is heading, etc. are his weaknesses.
I think he'd be an absolute train wreck here. He recruits in Louisiana, a state overrun with talent. He can lose some to some neighboring state schools and still have a top 10 class. He couldn't do that here. Besides, he's 60+ years old, not exactly the kind of persona who'd be motivated to set the recruiting world on fire. In the end, he's have mediocre talent, not be able to scheme or game plan and we'd be a hapless mess. It would be nice to see him for it on 4th and 3 occasionally, and the grass chewing would be entertaining.
I say all that as someone who likes Miles. Maybe if we'd gotten him 15 years ago his profile would've been different. I doubt it. At any rate, right now it would be a complete mismatch.
Coaching prowess can mean all those things you listed as positives for Miles...recruiting, motivator, risk taker...no one coach is going to be perfect across the board...
I'd say that is exactly what Pete Carroll was at USC and is now at Seattle...great at collecting talent, communicating, and motivating...
We have a pretty good basketball coach with "prowess"...who is an excellent recruiter, master motivator, great at communicating, and even risk taker with some of the kids he's recruited...I wouldn't say he could "x's and o's" circles around other coaches on his level...
Some guys have "prowess" in the x's o's and finer details...some guys have prowess in management...Saban has his notorious "process"...he can find the talent and really develop it...his x's and o's didn't really work out in the pros when all the other teams had comparable talent...
I wouldn't worry about his age or his recruiting out of the state of Louisiana...like I said...we're not hunting 5 star athletes and titles...we're looking for 7 wins and maybe .500 in conference...
and I'm not even saying kick CMS to the curb...I think Les would be able to use his strengths as position coach or coordinator and it would make a difference...
It's all pie in the sky though...he'll have his pick of jobs on the field or in the booth...him and John Gruden would be a show on it's own...
but this idea out there that Miles isn't a good coach or is washed up is absurd...he's got 2 SEC crowns and a National title...they don't just hand those out...he's had 1 losing season as a HC and that was his first year at Oklahoma St...I'll take that resume at Kentucky, whether it be HC or an assistant, any day of the week...