Sometimes it’s speculation. Sometimes it’s a rumor. Sometimes it’s a fact.

Always it’s a distraction.

The bigger the name, the bigger the distraction.

Jim Tressel, whose Ohio State team will face LSU in the BCS championship, is a big name.

“I’ve been through that many times,” Tressel said. “That’s just probably the least fun times you can have.”

Chuck Neinas, who heads a search firm for schools looking for new coaches, said his advice to a coach who might be eyeing another job is: “The less said the better.”

That, however, creates its own set of problems.

Miles was compelled to shoot down a report he was heading to Michigan about two hours before the Tigers played Tennessee in the SEC title game.

Of course, coaches bring some of these situations on themselves.

When Miles, who played and coached at Michigan, came to LSU from Oklahoma State three years ago, LSU was concerned enough about him bolting for the Wolverines it put a specific clause in his contract to make it an expensive move.

Even before Michigan’s Lloyd Carr said he was retiring, Miles was being mentioned as his replacement.

Then, when Martin asked LSU athletic director Skip Bertman for permission to meet with Miles after the SEC title game, the coach didn’t turn it down.

Foley said he believes some agents will leak a client’s name to the media with the hope of raising a coach’s profile and maybe getting the guy a raise from his current employer.

Also, a school searching for a coach might want to float a name to see how its fans reacts.

Bob LaMonte, an agent who represents Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis and newly hired Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman, said his agency prides itself on keeping quiet.

“You have leaks that really destroy any chance of negotiations,” LaMonte said. “What you don’t want to do is come forward with something before it actually happens.”

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville was talked about as a candidate for both the Texas A&M and Arkansas openings. Arkansas was also reportedly interested in Clemson’s Tommy Bowden.

Both Bowden and Tuberville stayed put and got contract extensions. Arkansas hired Bobby Petrino away from the Atlanta Falcons.

LSU gave Miles a raise after Michigan came calling, though Bertman said he was comfortable with how the Miles-Michigan episode played out and did not feel the coach was trying to use the interest as leverage. Miles’ annual salary will be around $3.5 million if he wins the national title and $2.8 if he does not.

“For LSU it worked out well because we have a noble coach and his agent’s a good guy,” Bertman said.

As long as everyone involved — coaches, ADs, agents — goes about their business honestly, Bertman said, being a player in the coaching-change season is manageable.

Though it certainly can be a distraction.

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