When Les Miles was named LSU’s head football coach in January of 2005, the challenge was to not only keep the Tigers as one of the nation’s elite programs, but to also make it better in all phases. Miles accepted the challenge, and in two years at the helm, he’s advanced every facet of the LSU football program.
Whether it be on the field, in the classroom, or in the community, Miles demands his players to strive for excellence and pursue an education while representing the University in first class fashion. The response by the players has been overwhelming as they’ve posted back-to-back 11-win seasons, played an instrumental role in the recovery efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, while also achieving academic success in the classroom. In two years, LSU’s had 37 players earn SEC Academic Honor Roll status with another 34 earning their college diploma.
Of the 24 seniors on this year’s team, two have already graduated with another 13 scheduled to graduate following the 2007 fall semester. The remaining nine are on pace to graduate either in the spring or summer of 2008.
On the field, the Tigers have produced 12 NFL Draft picks over the past two years, including a school-record four first round picks in the 2007 draft.
Now, as Miles enters his third year with the Tigers, the foundation for LSU football is more stable than ever. After 22 wins, including eight over foes ranked among the nation’s top 25, and with back-to-back consensus top five recruiting classes, Miles and the Tigers have solidified their standing as one of college football’s premier programs.
The LSU Years
Les Miles’ first two years with the Tigers has been unmatched in the history of the program. The results are impressive and staggering: 22 wins; 13 SEC victories; 8 wins over top 25 teams; 5 wins over top 10 teams; back-to-back top five final rankings; 2 bowl victories, including 1 BCS bowl win; 12 NFL Draft picks and four first-team All-Americans.
After leading LSU to an 11-2 mark and a top five national ranking in his first year as LSU's head coach in 2005, many wondered just what Miles would do for an encore. His second year with the Tigers proved to be another year full of milestones and firsts as he guided the Tigers to another 11-2 overall record, culminating with a 41-14 dismantling of 11th-ranked Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.
The Tigers finished their second year under the direction of Miles ranked No. 3 in the nation, marking the first time since the 1958-59 seasons that LSU was ranked in the top five in the country in back-to-back years.
LSU's at-large berth in a BCS bowl was a first in school history and it also represented the third time this decade that the Tigers ended their season in the Sugar Bowl.
In 2006, Miles became the first coach in LSU history to lead the Tigers to back-to-back 10-wins seasons and with 22 victories in his first 26 games as the school's head coach, his win total matched Bernie Moore for the most in school history over that span. He also became the first LSU coach since Jerry Stovall in 1982 to beat two top 10-ranked teams on the road in the same season as the Tigers posted a 28-24 win over No. 8 Tennessee in Knoxville followed by a 31-26 victory over No. 5 Arkansas in Little Rock.
The Tigers were able to accomplish all of this during the 2006 season despite having to face four top eight opponents on the road, also a first in school history. LSU posted a 2-2 mark in those road games, which included November wins over Tennessee and Arkansas that propelled the Tigers to a berth in a BCS bowl.
LSU opened the 2006 season in grand style, posting identical 45-3 wins over Louisiana-Lafayette and Arizona. After a gut-wrenching 7-3 loss at No. 3 Auburn, the Tigers reeled off decisive wins over both Tulane (49-7) and Mississippi State (48-17). Following a 23-10 setback to eventual national champion Florida, the Tigers responded with seven straight wins to end the season, starting with a 49-0 victory over a Kentucky team who went on to win eight games and beat Clemson in a bowl game.
The Tigers capped the 2006 with its 41-14 win over an overmatched Notre Dame team in the Sugar Bowl, giving the Tigers their third win in a BCS game since the 2001 season. The three wins for the Tigers in BCS bowl games since the 2000 season is the most of any SEC team during that span.
With a 6-2 SEC mark in 2006, Miles ran his record in conference games to 13-3, which trails only Bernie Moore as the best start for an LSU head coach in league games in school history. Moore won 15 of his first 16 conference games from 1934-36.
With a makeshift offensive line that featured three first time starters and a pair of true freshmen running backs having to plug holes in a depleted backfield, the Tigers still managed to lead the SEC in total offense (411 yards per game) and scoring offense (33.7 points per game), while ranking No. 2 in the league in rushing offense (165 yards per game). Defensively, the Tigers, despite losing three defensive linemen to the NFL Draft from the year before, ranked among the top four in the nation in scoring defense, total defense and pass defense.
In all, the Tigers fashioned its 11-2 record against seven teams who went on to play in bowl games as LSU’s schedule was ranked as the 12th toughest in the nation according to the NCAA.
Even though the Tigers had to go on the road to face four top 10-ranked teams in 2006, year two under Miles seemed somewhat ordinary compared to what the Tigers had to endure during his first year in Baton Rouge.
Miles' inaugural season at LSU had him leading the Tigers to only the third 11-win season in school history, to a top five national ranking and a berth in the SEC Championship Game despite numerous distractions that covered most of the months of September and October.
The Tigers, playing without starting quarterback and future No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick JaMarcus Russell, put an exclamation point on the year with a 40-3 win over No. 9 Miami in the Peach Bowl to finish with an 11-2 overall mark and a No. 5 national ranking.
To appreciate just how adverse the conditions that Miles and the Tigers had to overcome in 2005, you have to go back to late August and Hurricane Katrina, the first of two storms to devastate the state of Louisiana during the fall.
Days before LSU's originally scheduled season opener against North Texas in Tiger Stadium, Hurricane Katrina blew ashore, packing tremendous winds, and turned the state, in particular New Orleans and southeastern Louisiana, upside down.
Massive flooding followed in the wake of the storm as more than 30 LSU players had their families and their homes affected by the hurricane and Miles' first game in Tiger Stadium against North Texas was postponed. With the LSU campus serving as the recovery center for those sick, homeless and displaced due to Hurricane Katrina, football seemed to be the farthest thing from most people's minds. However, Miles was able to successfully manage a delicate situation, one that saw his team and coaching staff volunteer time to those in need, while still attempting to focus on football for at least two hours a day.
After a week of trying to minimize the distractions for a football team that had their apartments and dorm rooms filled with displaced family members and friends due to the storm, it appeared that the Tigers would finally get to play a home game, this time against 15th-ranked Arizona State.
However, just as the Tigers began to prepare for the Sun Devils and the season opener in Tiger Stadium, it was learned that the devastation to New Orleans was much greater than originally thought. With the Maravich Center on the LSU campus serving as what would become the largest field triage unit in United States history, it was mutually decided to move the LSU-Arizona State game to Tempe.
Still, with many in Louisiana under the distress of Hurricane Katrina, the Tigers were going to have to take to the desert to face a powerful offense in their first game of the season.
These were certainly trying times for everyone in the state of Louisiana, but even more so for a football coach who now had his team carrying the banner for a state in need of a diversion. LSU football had become a release for those consumed with the hurricane. LSU even re-stated its team goals, putting playing for the state of Louisiana at the top of the list.
The Tigers didn't disappoint as Miles and his LSU team used a 28-point fourth quarter rally to come back to beat Arizona State, 35-31, in Tempe.
Now with the Arizona State game behind them, it looked as if things for the LSU football team would gradually get back to normal as the Tigers now had a week off before facing Tennessee in Tiger Stadium on Sept. 24.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Another storm, this one named Rita, hit southwest Louisiana, causing severe damage to more homes, leaving thousands without electricity and displacing even more Louisiana natives. The combination of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita forced LSU to again shuffle its schedule. Instead of playing Tennessee on a Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, the Tigers would now be forced to face the Volunteers on a Monday night. An emotionally drained LSU team saw a 21-0 halftime lead evaporate into a 30-27 overtime loss against the Vols.
There was no coaching handbook for Miles to refer to when it came to dealing with the hurricanes and preparing a team for competition during extreme adverse conditions. Miles was on his own, forced to navigate his LSU team through a treacherous stretch of games, while also being sympathetic to those still under the influence of the natural disasters.
With just five days between the Tennessee loss and the Mississippi State game, Miles and the Tigers were obviously dealt an unfair hand, however, he asked his team to respond and they did. The Mississippi State contest was the starting point for a stretch of games for the Tigers that saw LSU win nine straight. The 37-7 win over the Bulldogs was followed by a 34-6 road victory over Vanderbilt as the Tigers had re-established themselves as one of the nation's elite on the football field. During what would be 11-consecutive weeks of play, the Tigers posted a win over Florida along with overtime victories against Auburn and Alabama. In all, the Tigers beat four teams ranked among the top 15 in the nation, a school record for regular season victories over ranked opponents.
After 10 straight weeks of play during the regular season, the Tigers had fashioned a 7-1 conference mark and earned a berth in the SEC title game.
Miles became the only coach in his first year in the SEC to lead his squad to the league's title game. He also became the first coach in LSU history to beat Alabama, Auburn and Florida in the same season.
Following a loss to Georgia in the league's title game, Miles and the Tigers re-grouped, this time to beat No. 9 Miami, 40-3, in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The win gave the Tigers 11 victories for the year, making Miles the winningest first-year coach in school history.
Following his first year with the Tigers, LSU had seven players taken in the NFL Draft, including running back Joseph Addai, who went on to win a Super Bowl with Indianapolis in his first season in the league.
Miles, the 2002 Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year and former assistant with Michigan, Colorado and the Dallas Cowboys who built Oklahoma State into a force in the Big 12, became LSU's 32nd head football coach on Jan. 3, 2005.
During his two years with the Tigers, Miles has put together a 22-4 overall mark, while leading LSU to a 13-3 conference record. LSU has also had 12 players selected in the NFL Draft over the past two years, including a school-record four in the first round in 2007, which included the No. 1 overall pick in Russell. In addition, LSU has had four players earn first-team All-America status under Miles.
The Oklahoma State Years
In four short years, Miles turned the Oklahoma State football program into one that was nationally competitive, despite competing in-state against one of the country's dominant programs.
Miles honed his head coaching skills at Oklahoma State. Under Miles' direction, the Cowboys were the only team in the nation to beat Oklahoma twice in the last four years, and he was also the first coach in Oklahoma State history to post wins over Nebraska and Oklahoma in the same season.
Miles led the Cowboys to three straight bowl appearances, an accomplishment Oklahoma State had not achieved since Jimmy Johnson started a string of three straight post-season games beginning in 1983. In addition, Oklahoma State's appearance in the Cotton Bowl to cap the 2003 season marked the first time in 55 years that the Cowboys appeared in a January bowl game.
Miles' success as a collegiate head coach has come by combining an explosive offensive system with that of a sound defensive scheme. His last two years at Oklahoma State, Miles' offenses put up a total of 857 points for an average of 34.3 points per game.
Miles' college playing and coaching career includes experience under some of the most noted coaches in college football. At Michigan, he played for legendary coach Bo Schembechler and later served on Schembechler's staff. He also worked with Gary Moeller at Michigan and Bill McCartney at Colorado.
As head coach at Oklahoma State, he built a consistent winner out of a program that had recorded only one winning season since 1988, and had posted a record of 13-20 in the three years prior to his arrival at OSU. After going 4-7 in his first year as head coach in 2001, he took the Cowboys to consecutive winning marks of 8-5 in 2002, 9-4 in 2003 and 7-5 in 2004.
Miles led Oklahoma State to a four-year record of 28-21 for a winning percentage of 57.1, the best career winning percentage for an OSU coach since Jim Lookabaugh ended his career in Stillwater in 1949.
In 2004, Miles took Oklahoma State as high as No. 15 in the country with five wins to open the season. The 2004 season included road wins at UCLA, Colorado and Missouri, and the Cowboys never lost to a team outside of the top 25. In addition, his 2004 Cowboys ranked 12th in the nation in rushing, averaging 237 yards per game and Oklahoma State was among the national leaders in scoring offense with 32.3 points a contest.
Oklahoma State's 2003 season was highlighted by victories over eventual Big 12 Champion Kansas State and a bowl-bound Texas Tech squad. Miles and his Cowboys won seven straight in 2003 after a season opening loss at Nebraska and finished the season with back-to-back victories. The seven consecutive victories marked the longest winning streak by an Oklahoma State team since 1949 when the Cowboys posted a perfect 9-0 record.
Miles' 2003 Oklahoma State team featured one NFL First Round Draft pick in wide receiver Rashaun Woods and second round selection in running back Tatum Bell as the Cowboy offensive attack featured both a 1,000-yard rusher (Bell) and a 1,000-yard receiver (Woods).
Miles was the 2002 Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year after directing his second Oklahoma State team to an 8-5 record and the school's first bowl appearance since 1997. In 2002, Miles' Cowboy offense set the school standard for passing offense (259 yards per game), while averaging 403.3 yards of offense per game, the fourth-highest total at the school.
The Cowboys, who averaged 34.4 points per game, closed the 2002 season with wins in six of their last seven games, including a 38-28 victory over then-No. 3 ranked Oklahoma in the regular-season finale. The Cowboys capped the 2002 season with a 33-23 win over Southern Miss in the Houston Bowl.
The Assistant Coach Years
Prior to his tenure as head coach at Oklahoma State, Miles was the tight ends coach for the Dallas Cowboys for three seasons from 1998-2000. During his three years with the Cowboys, Dallas won one divisional title while participating in the playoffs twice. In Dallas, Miles learned of LSU and the charm of the school from tight end David LaFleur, who starred for the Tigers in the 1990s. In three years of coaching tight ends for the Cowboys, Miles' players combined for 136 receptions for 1,287 yards and 16 touchdowns. LaFleur, a former LSU All-America selection, had his best year under Miles in 1999, starting 16 games and catching 35 passes for 322 yards and seven touchdowns.
Before going to Dallas, Miles served as Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator for three seasons from 1995-97, including an 8-3 season and Alamo Bowl berth in 1997.
Success has followed Miles at every stop of both his playing and professional career. He was a two-year letterman at Michigan (1974-75). During those two seasons, Michigan was a combined 18-3-2, had final Associated Press national rankings in the top 10 and participated in both the Rose and Orange Bowls.
He joined Schembechler's Michigan coaching staff in 1980 for the first of two stints as a coach in Ann Arbor. In 1980 and 1981, Michigan combined for 19 wins and just five losses, won the Big 10 title in 1980 and played in the Rose and Bluebonnet Bowls, respectively. Miles left Michigan for Colorado, where he served on McCartney's staff from 1982 through 1986. In his final two years at Colorado, the Buffs earned bids to the Freedom Bowl and Bluebonnet Bowl.
In 1987, he returned to Michigan, where he would spend the next eight years as part of one of the most successful eras in Michigan football history. From 1987 to 1994, Michigan won 71 games, made eight straight bowl appearances, including four trips to the Rose Bowl, and finished no lower than No. 21 in final Associated Press national rankings.
The 1989 Michigan squad finished 10-2, won the Big 10 championship and finished ranked No. 7 in the country. That would be Coach Bo Schembechler's final season as Michigan's head coach.
When Moeller took over the Michigan program prior to the 1990 season, Miles remained on the staff. The 1990 team finished 9-3, winning the Big 10 title and the Gator Bowl. The following season (1991), Michigan finished 10-2 and with a No. 6 national ranking. Miles coached some of the best players to wear the Michigan uniform, including eight first-team All-Americans, 10 total All-Americans and 12 players from Wolverine offensive lines that were NFL draftees.
A Philanthropist At Heart
One of Les Miles’ most impressive qualities is that of the time he spends giving to and helping causes that benefit others. Each year, Miles and his wife Kathy host an event that raises close to $100,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network. In addition, he is active in other community service events such as the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer annual fundraiser, the Special Olympics and the Baton Rouge Children’s Advocacy Center Celebrity Waiter Event.
Miles spent a week in June of 2006 taking part in the United States Organization Tour, which had the Tiger head coach visiting American Troops serving in Kuwait and Iraq. Miles was joined on the tour, which serves as a morale booster for the troops serving abroad, by former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz and Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner Vincent Naimoli.
The week-long trip took Miles to several U.S. bases in Kuwait and then on to Iraq, where he visited with hundreds of American Troops and even flew over the city of Baghdad in a Black Hawk.
The Family Man
When Miles isn’t overseeing his LSU football family, he can most likely be found in the bleachers supporting his wife and kids at their sporting events. His oldest daughter Kathryn, who is commonly referred to as “Smacker” is one of the top junior swimmers in the state of Louisiana and as a middle schooler, helped University High School claim the Division IV state title in 2006. Smacker won the Division IV state championship in the 200 freestyle and placed sixth overall in the 100 backstroke. Smacker also participates in basketball and volleyball.
Miles’ two sons – Manny and Ben – are also avid athletes as they participate in everything from football, to baseball to wrestling. Coach Miles also get his share of time with the youngest of the Miles family and that’s 4-year old Macy Grace.
Coach Miles’ wife Kathy, who is a former assistant women’s basketball coach at the collegiate level, spends time serving as a coach for Smacker’s AAU basketball team.
 The Les Miles File
Birthdate: November 10, 1953
HOMETOWN: Elyria, Ohio
WIFE: Kathy
CHILDREN: Kathryn “Smacker”, Leslie Matthew “Manny”, Benjamin, and Macy Grace
COLLEGE: Michigan, '76
EDUCATION:
Graduated from the University of Michigan in 1976 with a degree in Economics.
PLAYING EXPERIENCE:
Two-year letterman at Michigan in 1974 and 1975. Played on two Big 10 Championship Teams as well as participating in the 1976 Orange Bowl. Earned all-state honors in football at Elyria High School in Ohio and also earned letters in baseball and wrestling.
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Les Miles 
