Les Miles
Encyclopedia
Leslie Edwin "Les" Miles, nicknamed "The Mad Hatter", (born November 10, 1953) is an American
college football
coach and the current head coach of the Louisiana State University
football
team. Prior to holding that position, he was head coach at Oklahoma State. He was formerly an assistant at Oklahoma State as well as with the University of Michigan
, the University of Colorado
and the Dallas Cowboys
. Miles has held the head coaching position at LSU since January 2005 and coached the Tigers to a win in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game
against Ohio State
, 38–24. On 26 August, 2011, his contract was extended to 2017.
in baseball and wrestling. He attended the University of Michigan
where he was a two-year letterman under Coach Bo Schembechler
from 1974 to 75. In 1980, Miles returned to Michigan
as an assistant coach to Schembechler. He left Michigan in 1982 to coach at the University of Colorado
where fellow Michigan assistant Bill McCartney
had just been named head coach. Coincidentally, one of his fellow assistants on the Colorado staff was another future LSU head coach, Gerry DiNardo
, who coached at LSU from 1995–99.
He returned to Michigan in 1987 where he helped lead the team to eight consecutive winning seasons and bowl appearances, including four Rose Bowl
appearances. After Gary Moeller
's resignation, Miles left Michigan again to join former Colorado assistant Bob Simmons
staff at Oklahoma State
as offensive coordinator. A rift with the University of Michigan occurred near the time of Moeller's resignation, forcing him to seek employment elsewhere. During the 1998 through 2000 seasons he was the tight ends coach for the NFL
's Dallas Cowboys
under head coaches Chan Gailey
(1998-99) and Dave Campo
(2000).
During the last game
of Miles's first season as head coach, OSU faced Oklahoma, which was ranked #4 in the nation. Despite the fact that OSU was facing Oklahoma on the road
, Miles led his team to a 16–13 upset victory over the Sooners (who ended up finishing the season ranked #6 after winning the Cotton Bowl Classic).
During Miles's second season
, OSU again ended the regular season with a game against Oklahoma. This time Oklahoma was ranked the #3 team in the country. And yet again, Miles led his team to a 38-28 upset victory over the Sooners (who ended up finishing the season ranked #5 after winning the Rose Bowl). As a result of his team's performance during his second year, Miles was named the Big 12 Conference
Coach of the Year by the Associated Press
in 2002.
On January 2, 2005, Miles was named the 32nd head coach of Louisiana State University
. He replaced Nick Saban
, who had left LSU to take over the Miami Dolphins
. In August 2005, days before Miles was to make his debut as the coach of LSU, Hurricane Katrina
struck southern Louisiana. LSU's first game, a home date against North Texas
, was postponed until later in the season. The Tigers second game, against Arizona State
, was moved from Baton Rouge to Tempe
because the LSU campus was still serving as an emergency center for Hurricane Katrina relief. The conference opener against the University of Tennessee
was also delayed, this time because of Hurricane Rita
. The game was played two days late, which he lost.
In his first season as coach
LSU won the 2005 SEC
Western Division title with a 10-1 regular season record – including wins over #15 Arizona State (9/10/05), #11 Florida
(10/15/05), #16 Auburn
(10/22/05) and #4 Alabama
(11/12/05). LSU's only regular season loss was an upset at home to #10 Tennessee (9/26/05). In the Tennessee game, after building a 21–0 lead at halftime, the Tigers failed to score another touchdown and lost to UT 30–27 in overtime. In the SEC Championship Game
in Atlanta, the #3-ranked LSU Tigers, though favored, lost to #13 Georgia
34–14. LSU recovered to win the 2005 Peach Bowl
with a 40-3 rout of the #9-ranked Miami Hurricanes
. Miles finished his first season at LSU with an 11-2 record, a #6 ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll, and a #5 ranking in the AP Poll
.
In 2006
, LSU finished the regular season with ten wins (10-2), and ended the season with six straight wins. 2006 marked the first time in LSU history that the Tigers finished with back-to-back 10-win seasons. Miles was able to do this in spite of his team playing its four toughest games on the road. All four games were against teams ranked in the top eight when the game took place, with three of the teams in the top five (Auburn, Florida, Arkansas). LSU split those four games, losing to Auburn
and Florida
, but beating Tennessee
and Arkansas
. LSU did not win the SEC West title, finishing one game behind Arkansas. However, the Tigers were ranked ahead of Arkansas at the end of the regular season, and were rewarded with an invitation to face Notre Dame
in the Sugar Bowl
where they defeated the Irish 41–14. LSU finished the 2006 season ranked #3 overall in both the AP and ESPN polls.
In 2007
, Miles gained national attention due to numerous unconventional play calls during nationally televised games. LSU was ranked #1 twice during the regular season, but lost at #17 Kentucky
in triple overtime 43-37 before losing its final regular season game at home to unranked Arkansas
50-48, also in triple overtime. As of the end of the 2007 regular season, which featured victories over six different coaches with national championships, Miles' record as head coach at LSU was 34-6. Coincidentally, the 2007 regular season also ended with a loss to Arkansas in a game marked by several of Miles' hallmark unconventional calls. Despite the loss, LSU would go on to the SEC
championship game. On the day of the SEC championship game, Kirk Herbstreit
wrongly reported on ESPN
's College GameDay that Les Miles had accepted an offer to succeed Lloyd Carr
as the head coach at Michigan. Despite the media distractions, LSU won the 2007 SEC
title, beating Tennessee
21–14. The night of LSU's SEC title victory, the teams then ranked #1 (Missouri
) and #2 (West Virginia
) both lost, allowing LSU to be ranked #2 in the AP, Coaches
, Harris
, and BCS
polls. LSU beat Ohio State
in the BCS National Championship Game
38-24, giving Miles his first national championship and LSU its third.
head coaching position if it became available. On the day of the SEC championship game Kirk Herbstreit
incorrectly reported on ESPN
's College GameDay that Les Miles had accepted an offer to succeed Lloyd Carr
as the head coach at the University of Michigan. LSU officials quickly responded to Herbstreit's announcement and confirmed that Les Miles would not be taking the Michigan position and would be staying at LSU. Miles cleared up any confusion himself in a last minute press conference to reporters saying,
The speculation resurfaced two weeks later when The Detroit Free Press reported that Michigan athletic director Bill Martin
and university president Mary Sue Coleman spoke with Miles directly over the phone a few days after he signed a contract extension with LSU. In response to the report, Miles issued a statement acknowledging the conversation, but claimed that he was merely offering advice and assistance to Martin on Michigan's search and that he is not a candidate for the vacancy. Miles reaffirmed his commitment to stay at LSU, declaring "I'm going to be the coach at LSU next season." Any remaining speculation that Miles would still consider the job ended on December 16, 2007 when West Virginia
coach Rich Rodriguez
accepted the head coaching job at Michigan.
, who was a teammate of Miles' at Michigan, reportedly flew to Baton Rouge to meet with Miles after LSU defeated Texas A&M
in the 2011 Cotton Bowl Classic
. An LSU spokesman confirmed that Miles was meeting with "Michigan officials" to discuss the vacancy, though Miles declined to identify whom he had met with or reveal the substance of the discussions. Though some sources indicated that Miles would accept the Michigan job if it were offered to him and Baton Rouge radio station WJBO reported that Miles had already accepted the position, Miles again ultimately decided to stay at LSU.
has positively cited him for the balance he maintains between his role as a head football coach and his role as husband and father. Miles is involved in churches with his family and has described himself as a "strong Christian."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach and the current head coach of the Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
football
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
team. Prior to holding that position, he was head coach at Oklahoma State. He was formerly an assistant at Oklahoma State as well as with the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
and the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Miles has held the head coaching position at LSU since January 2005 and coached the Tigers to a win in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game
2008 BCS National Championship Game
The 2008 Allstate BCS National Championship Game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 7, 2008, and featured the #1 and #2 college football teams in the United States as determined by the BCS Poll to decide the BCS National Championship for the 2007...
against Ohio State
2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team competed in football on behalf of the Ohio State University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio...
, 38–24. On 26 August, 2011, his contract was extended to 2017.
Playing and assistant coaching career
Miles earned all-state honors in football at Elyria High School in Ohio as well as lettersVarsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
in baseball and wrestling. He attended the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
where he was a two-year letterman under Coach Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
from 1974 to 75. In 1980, Miles returned to Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
as an assistant coach to Schembechler. He left Michigan in 1982 to coach at the University of Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
where fellow Michigan assistant Bill McCartney
Bill McCartney
William Paul McCartney is a former American football player and coach and the founder of the Promise Keepers men's ministry. He was the head coach at the University of Colorado from 1982 to 1994, where he compiled a record of 93–55–5 and won three consecutive Big Eight Conference...
had just been named head coach. Coincidentally, one of his fellow assistants on the Colorado staff was another future LSU head coach, Gerry DiNardo
Gerry DiNardo
Gerard DiNardo is a former American football player and coach. He played college football as a guard for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish where he was selected as an All-American in 1974...
, who coached at LSU from 1995–99.
He returned to Michigan in 1987 where he helped lead the team to eight consecutive winning seasons and bowl appearances, including four Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
appearances. After Gary Moeller
Gary Moeller
Gary O. Moeller is an American football coach best known for being head coach at the University of Michigan from 1990 to 1994. During his five seasons at Michigan, he won 44 games, lost 13 and tied 3 for a winning percentage of .758...
's resignation, Miles left Michigan again to join former Colorado assistant Bob Simmons
Bob Simmons (football coach)
-External links:* *...
staff at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowboys football
The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and completes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his seventh year as...
as offensive coordinator. A rift with the University of Michigan occurred near the time of Moeller's resignation, forcing him to seek employment elsewhere. During the 1998 through 2000 seasons he was the tight ends coach for the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
under head coaches Chan Gailey
Chan Gailey
Thomas Chandler "Chan" Gailey, Jr. is an American professional and college football coach. Gailey is the current head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ; he was formerly the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football...
(1998-99) and Dave Campo
Dave Campo
Dave Campo is an American football coach, a former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and currently secondary coach with the Cowboys.-High school years:...
(2000).
Oklahoma State
Miles returned to Oklahoma State in 2001 as head coach. In the three years prior to Miles's arrival in Stillwater, the Cowboys finished 5–6, 5–6, and 3–8. Oklahoma State posted another losing record (4–7) in Miles's first season at the helm, but subsequently achieved winning records during each of the following three seasons - 8–5, 9–4, and 7–5, respectively. His last three seasons at Oklahoma State ended in invitations to the Houston, Cotton, and Alamo Bowls, respectively.During the last game
Bedlam Series
The Bedlam Series refers to the athletics rivalry between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, of the Big 12 Conference...
of Miles's first season as head coach, OSU faced Oklahoma, which was ranked #4 in the nation. Despite the fact that OSU was facing Oklahoma on the road
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
The Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is the on-campus football facility for the University of Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Oklahoma. The official capacity of the stadium, following recent renovations, is 82,112, making it the 16th largest college stadium in the United States and the third...
, Miles led his team to a 16–13 upset victory over the Sooners (who ended up finishing the season ranked #6 after winning the Cotton Bowl Classic).
During Miles's second season
2002 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
The 2002 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team represented the Oklahoma State University in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Cowboys' Houston Bowl appearance in 2002 was only the second time in 14 years that OSU made it to a bowl game.-Schedule:...
, OSU again ended the regular season with a game against Oklahoma. This time Oklahoma was ranked the #3 team in the country. And yet again, Miles led his team to a 38-28 upset victory over the Sooners (who ended up finishing the season ranked #5 after winning the Rose Bowl). As a result of his team's performance during his second year, Miles was named the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
Coach of the Year by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
in 2002.
LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
. He replaced Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
, who had left LSU to take over the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In August 2005, days before Miles was to make his debut as the coach of LSU, Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
struck southern Louisiana. LSU's first game, a home date against North Texas
North Texas Mean Green football
The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-FBS college football and competes as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green have attained several conference championships, including four...
, was postponed until later in the season. The Tigers second game, against Arizona State
2005 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The 2005 Arizona State Sun Devils football team]] represented Arizona State University in the college football season of 2005-2006. It played its home games at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona....
, was moved from Baton Rouge to Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
because the LSU campus was still serving as an emergency center for Hurricane Katrina relief. The conference opener against the University of Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
was also delayed, this time because of Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
. The game was played two days late, which he lost.
In his first season as coach
2005 LSU Tigers football team
The 2005 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2005–2006. Coached by Les Miles in his first season at LSU, the Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
LSU won the 2005 SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Western Division title with a 10-1 regular season record – including wins over #15 Arizona State (9/10/05), #11 Florida
2005 Florida Gators football team
The 2005 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2005 college football season...
(10/15/05), #16 Auburn
2005 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2005 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. Despite having four starters from the 2004 team selected in the first round of 2005 NFL Draft, Auburn finished the season with a 9–3 record, including a 7–1 record in the Southeastern...
(10/22/05) and #4 Alabama
2005 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2005 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's 73rd season in the SEC...
(11/12/05). LSU's only regular season loss was an upset at home to #10 Tennessee (9/26/05). In the Tennessee game, after building a 21–0 lead at halftime, the Tigers failed to score another touchdown and lost to UT 30–27 in overtime. In the SEC Championship Game
2005 SEC Championship Game
The 2005 Dr. Pepper SEC Championship Game was played on December 3, 2005 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The game determined the 2005 football champion of the Southeastern Conference. The Georgia Bulldogs, winners of the Eastern division of the SEC, defeated the LSU Tigers, who won the...
in Atlanta, the #3-ranked LSU Tigers, though favored, lost to #13 Georgia
2005 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 2005 Georgia Bulldogs football team completed the season with a 10-3 record. Winning 10 games for the fourth year in a row, Georgia tied its own record for consecutive 10 win seasons. The Bulldogs, with a regular season SEC record of 6-2, won the SEC East and advanced to the 2005 SEC...
34–14. LSU recovered to win the 2005 Peach Bowl
2005 Peach Bowl
The 2005 edition of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl featured two top 10 ranked teams. The ninth ranked Miami Hurricanes battled the tenth ranked LSU Tigers in this contest, the last to be played as the Peach Bowl....
with a 40-3 rout of the #9-ranked Miami Hurricanes
2005 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 2005 Miami Hurricanes football team began the 2005 season ranked #8/9 after a 9-3 campaign in 2004 that ended with a 27-10 win over rival Florida in the 2005 Peach Bowl.-Season:...
. Miles finished his first season at LSU with an 11-2 record, a #6 ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll, and a #5 ranking in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
.
In 2006
2006 LSU Tigers football team
The 2006 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2006–2007. The team's coach was former Oklahoma State coach Les Miles. They played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
, LSU finished the regular season with ten wins (10-2), and ended the season with six straight wins. 2006 marked the first time in LSU history that the Tigers finished with back-to-back 10-win seasons. Miles was able to do this in spite of his team playing its four toughest games on the road. All four games were against teams ranked in the top eight when the game took place, with three of the teams in the top five (Auburn, Florida, Arkansas). LSU split those four games, losing to Auburn
2006 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2006 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Tommy Tuberville served his eighth season at Auburn, the third longest tenure among current SEC head coaches that year...
and Florida
2006 Florida Gators football team
The 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 college football season...
, but beating Tennessee
2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the college football season of 2006–2007. Tennessee entered the 2006 season coming off an 5–6 record in 2005...
and Arkansas
2006 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 2006 Arkansas Razorbacks football team completed the season with a 10–4 record. The Razorbacks had a regular season SEC record of 7–1.-Schedule:-USC:...
. LSU did not win the SEC West title, finishing one game behind Arkansas. However, the Tigers were ranked ahead of Arkansas at the end of the regular season, and were rewarded with an invitation to face Notre Dame
2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was a college football team which represented the University of Notre Dame during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Charlie Weis in his second year as head coach and played their home football games at Notre Dame...
in the Sugar Bowl
2007 Sugar Bowl
The 2007 Allstate Sugar Bowl Game was a college football bowl game, which formed part of the 2006–2007 Bowl Championship Series of the 2006 NCAA Division I-BS football season. Played on January 3, 2007, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, it was the 73rd Sugar Bowl...
where they defeated the Irish 41–14. LSU finished the 2006 season ranked #3 overall in both the AP and ESPN polls.
2007 LSU Tigers football team
The 2007 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University during the college football season of 2007–2008, winning the Southeastern Conference championship and the national championship. The team's Head Coach was Les Miles who entered his third year at the helm of LSU Football...
, Miles gained national attention due to numerous unconventional play calls during nationally televised games. LSU was ranked #1 twice during the regular season, but lost at #17 Kentucky
2007 Kentucky Wildcats football team
The 2007 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team's head football coach was Rich Brooks, in his 5th year as Kentucky's head coach. The Wildcats played their home games at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky...
in triple overtime 43-37 before losing its final regular season game at home to unranked Arkansas
2007 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 2007 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the 2007–2008 football season. The Razorbacks played six home games at Donald W...
50-48, also in triple overtime. As of the end of the 2007 regular season, which featured victories over six different coaches with national championships, Miles' record as head coach at LSU was 34-6. Coincidentally, the 2007 regular season also ended with a loss to Arkansas in a game marked by several of Miles' hallmark unconventional calls. Despite the loss, LSU would go on to the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
championship game. On the day of the SEC championship game, Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit is an Emmy Award-winning analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, a television program covering college football and a provider of color commentary during college football games on ESPN and ABC. He appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football. He was a quarterback on...
wrongly reported on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's College GameDay that Les Miles had accepted an offer to succeed Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
as the head coach at Michigan. Despite the media distractions, LSU won the 2007 SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
title, beating Tennessee
2007 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2007 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the college football season of 2007–2008. They won the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference before falling to the eventual national champion LSU Tigers in the SEC Championship Game...
21–14. The night of LSU's SEC title victory, the teams then ranked #1 (Missouri
2007 Missouri Tigers football team
The 2007 Missouri Tigers football team represented the University of Missouri in college football's 2007 season. The team was coached by Gary Pinkel and played their home games at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium....
) and #2 (West Virginia
2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team began play on September 1, 2007. The team was coached by Rich Rodriguez until he announced on December 16, 2007 that he was leaving West Virginia to coach the Michigan Wolverines. The head coaching position remained vacant after his announcement,...
) both lost, allowing LSU to be ranked #2 in the AP, Coaches
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
, Harris
Harris Interactive College Football Poll
The Harris Interactive College Football Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football teams. The rankings are compiled by Harris Interactive, a market research company that specializes in Internet research....
, and BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
polls. LSU beat Ohio State
2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team competed in football on behalf of the Ohio State University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio...
in the BCS National Championship Game
2008 BCS National Championship Game
The 2008 Allstate BCS National Championship Game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 7, 2008, and featured the #1 and #2 college football teams in the United States as determined by the BCS Poll to decide the BCS National Championship for the 2007...
38-24, giving Miles his first national championship and LSU its third.
Michigan head coach speculation, 2007
Throughout the 2007 season, there was speculation that Les Miles would be a top candidate for the University of MichiganMichigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
head coaching position if it became available. On the day of the SEC championship game Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit is an Emmy Award-winning analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, a television program covering college football and a provider of color commentary during college football games on ESPN and ABC. He appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football. He was a quarterback on...
incorrectly reported on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's College GameDay that Les Miles had accepted an offer to succeed Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
as the head coach at the University of Michigan. LSU officials quickly responded to Herbstreit's announcement and confirmed that Les Miles would not be taking the Michigan position and would be staying at LSU. Miles cleared up any confusion himself in a last minute press conference to reporters saying,
"There was some misinformation on ESPN and I think it's imperative that I straighten it out. I am the head coach at LSU. I will be the head coach at LSU. I have no interest in talking to anybody else. I've got a championship game to play, and I am excited about the opportunity of my damn strong football team to play in it. That's really all I'd like to say. It was unfortunate that I had to address my team with this information this morning. With that being done, I think we'd be ready to play. There will be no questions for me. I represent me in this issue. Please ask me after. I'm busy. Thank you very much. Have a great day."
The speculation resurfaced two weeks later when The Detroit Free Press reported that Michigan athletic director Bill Martin
William C. Martin
William C. "Bill" Martin was University of Michigan Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Director from 2000 to 2010.Martin is president of the United States Sailing Foundation and also served as president of the U.S. Sailing Association, the national governing body of the sport of sailing from...
and university president Mary Sue Coleman spoke with Miles directly over the phone a few days after he signed a contract extension with LSU. In response to the report, Miles issued a statement acknowledging the conversation, but claimed that he was merely offering advice and assistance to Martin on Michigan's search and that he is not a candidate for the vacancy. Miles reaffirmed his commitment to stay at LSU, declaring "I'm going to be the coach at LSU next season." Any remaining speculation that Miles would still consider the job ended on December 16, 2007 when West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
coach Rich Rodriguez
Rich Rodriguez
Richard A. "Rich" Rodriguez is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University , Glenville State College , West Virginia University , and the University...
accepted the head coaching job at Michigan.
Michigan head coach speculation, 2011
Miles was again mentioned as a candidate for the Michigan job when Rodriguez was fired after the 2010 season. Michigan athletic director David BrandonDavid Brandon
David A. Brandon is the director of intercollegiate athletics for the University of Michigan. He was formerly chairman of the board, chief executive officer, and manager of Domino's Pizza. He is also a former regent of the University of Michigan. Brandon took over Domino's in March 1999 when...
, who was a teammate of Miles' at Michigan, reportedly flew to Baton Rouge to meet with Miles after LSU defeated Texas A&M
2010 Texas A&M Aggies football team
The 2010 Texas A&M Aggies football team represented Texas A&M University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by third-year head coach Mike Sherman and played their home games at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. The team's defense was led by first-year coach Tim...
in the 2011 Cotton Bowl Classic
2011 Cotton Bowl Classic
The 2011 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic was the 75th edition of the annual post-season college football bowl game that was part of the 2010–11 bowl season of the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The game featured the LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference who defeated the Texas A&M Aggies of...
. An LSU spokesman confirmed that Miles was meeting with "Michigan officials" to discuss the vacancy, though Miles declined to identify whom he had met with or reveal the substance of the discussions. Though some sources indicated that Miles would accept the Michigan job if it were offered to him and Baton Rouge radio station WJBO reported that Miles had already accepted the position, Miles again ultimately decided to stay at LSU.
Personal life
Miles is married, with four children. ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
has positively cited him for the balance he maintains between his role as a head football coach and his role as husband and father. Miles is involved in churches with his family and has described himself as a "strong Christian."
Head coaching record