After seeming initially reluctant to enter the media world, former LSU and Oklahoma State coach Les Miles has dove right in. Miles served as a National Signing Day guest analyst on ESPN this spring but said at the end of July a TV career was “not going to happen.” Following that, though, he wound up signing on with both ESPN (where he made headlines by looking for a restroom with his mic on at the end of their opening-night Megacast) and Fox (where he made headlines for openly rooting on air for Nebraska, where his son plays).
Now, Miles has taken his talents to The Players’ Tribune with a new Les Is More podcast, and he gave one of the most amazing pitches for a podcast ever in a Twitter video, approaching potential listeners like recruits:
I have a new program I'd like you to be part of.
Listen and subscribe: https://t.co/R41EcFxpe5 pic.twitter.com/WSuIiqC0nt
— Les Miles (@CoachLesMiles) October 2, 2017
“The reason that I’m here is cause you have exactly what we want. You’re smart, you’re discerning, and I know that you will show up week after week. I know you have a lot of options, but let me tell you why this is the program for you. This is an athletic family. You’ll enjoy that, because you want a perspective that’s different. You’re not just looking at what happens between the lines. You’re going to get an unusual view of athletics, sports, football, certainly football. What I’m asking from you today is a commitment to be there every week and subscribe to the Les is More podcast. We have a lot to offer. In the meantime, you have a great day.”
That’s an awesome marketing video, especially with the “have a great day” reference to one of Miles’ most famous coaching moments at LSU (where he called a pre-SEC Championship Game press conference to say that he wasn’t leaving for Michigan). It shows off Miles’ personality (and also helps indicate why he found a lot of success as a recruiter; he’s very convincing), and gives a summary of the unconventional approach he plans to bring to this podcast. Here’s a further one-minute intro to the podcast from Miles:
Miles mentions there that, “Each week we’re going to take a look at some of the biggest issues in the college football landscape, but we’re also going to talk about a lot more than that. I have a lifetime of experience as it relates to the game, and I want to share those experiences with you. So swing by every Wednesday for my thoughts on the week that was and interesting conversations with former players, close friends, and many other people that I have crossed paths with in 30-plus years of a college coaching career.”
As Miles notes, the sports podcast space is extremely crowded, and you need to do something to stand out, even if you’re working with an outlet as prominent as The Players’ Tribune. This recruiting video certainly does that. This also furthers The Players’ Tribune’s push into podcasts; some previous efforts include R2C2 (with Ryan Ruocco and CC Sabathia) and an oral history on the 1986 New York Giants. We’ll see how this podcast turns out, but it might be a great format for Miles, allowing him to express a lot of his knowledge of football in a bit of a looser setting than the conventions of TV game broadcasts.
He definitely has our attention.
[Les Miles on Twitter/Les Is More on Art19/Apple Podcasts]
