Stop laughing and listen up. Les Miles could be a good fit at Baylor.

Now granted, there are others who at first glance would seem more suitable for the Bears’ head coaching job. Tom Herman wouldn’t be a bad choice, if he’s available. Chances are the rising-star coach of the Houston Cougars won’t be. Alabama OC Lane Kiffin would look pretty snazzy in green and gold and would slide seamlessly into the scheme the Bears have been running. With his philosophy of offense, it certainly seems like a no-brainer for Baylor to do what it takes to get Kiffin to Waco.

But Baylor, in the wake of a sexual assault scandal, is in a very delicate situation right now. The next guy to head the football program will have to be squeaky clean.

Enter, Les Miles, who reportedly is drawing heavy interest.

With all his shortcomings — he’s as avant-garde toward offense as a necktie — Miles’ greatest attribute, from a perception standpoint,  is his fatherly image. And that has to be Baylor’s No. 1 priority in rebuilding its brand. There can be no skeletons in the closet, no pending investigations, no dirt of any kind. Miles fits that description.

Now, as far as football goes, Miles proved at LSU that he could take a highly talented team and maintain that level for an extended time through continued excellence in recruiting. He might not sustain it in the same way the way Nick Saban did, but isn’t it the bottom line that’s important?

Of course, he’d hit the trail looking to bring in a different kind of player, but given Baylor’s location and status as a top football program, reeling in the top prospects is something he would be able to do.

Recruiting Texas wouldn’t be unfamiliar, either. Miles dipped into the Lone Star State while head coach at neighboring schools Oklahoma State and LSU. He’s familiar with the territory and, if history is any indication, Miles would continue to be competitive in that area.

And if you look back at his first days at LSU, you find a very different team from the one he was separated from four games into the 2016 season. Miles inherited one of the most prolific quarterbacks in program history.

In 2006, Miles’ second season there, QB JaMarcus Russell threw for 3,129 yards; that’s second-most for a single season in school history. Then in 2013, QB Zach Mettenberger threw for 3,082 yards, or third-most in school history.

That’s right, Miles has coached two of the top three quarterbacks in LSU history for passing yards in a season. That doesn’t sound very Miles-like given his aversion to throwing the football since Leonard Fournette arrived.

Point is, if Miles goes to Baylor, expect the football to continue to fly, at least temporarily, until he gets in the kind of talent he wants.

One more thing to consider. How would Miles be viewed if he didn’t have to compete with Alabama every year? Going up against the Big 12 would be a piece of cake in comparison to having to deal with the likes of Alabama and the rest of the SEC West year in and year out.

Yes, Miles could fit in at Baylor — very well, in fact.