LSU Gold

Les Miles Season 2024

LSU
Les Miles
Title
Head Coach
Email
football@lsu.edu

Career Record: 142-55 (15+ years)
LSU Record: 114-34 (11+ years)

2011 AP National Coach of the Year | Details
2011 Home Depot National Coach of the Year | Details
2011 Walter Camp National Coach of the Year
2011 Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year
Second-winningest coach in LSU history with 114 victories
BCS National Champions in 2007
SEC Champions in 2007 and 2011
13-0 regular-season record in 2011

Les Miles capped his career at LSU as the school’s second-winningest coach, posting a 114-34 mark before being relieved of his duties four games into the 2016 season. During his 12th season at LSU in 2016, Miles guided the Tigers to a 2-2 overall mark and a 1-1 Southeastern Conference record before being dismissed as the Tiger head coach on September 25 (a day after a 18-13 loss to Auburn).

Miles left a significant mark on the program that he took over in 2005 when Nick Saban resigned to accept the head coaching position of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

In his 11-plus seasons with the Tigers, LSU averaged 10 wins a year and won more games from 2005-2015 than any other program in the SEC over that 11-year stretch. In 11-plus years with the Tigers, Miles climbed to become the second-winningest coach in school history in both overall wins (114) and in SEC regular season victories (64).

In 2015, Miles extended LSU’s streak of consecutive seasons with at least eight wins to 16 straight, the longest such streak among the Power 5 Conferences, and the Tigers have stretched their mark of consecutive seasons with a bowl appearance to 16 in a row.

Miles, who entered the 2016 season as the Dean of SEC Football Coaches, led the Tigers to the 2007 BCS National Championship, the third national title in the history of the program. LSU has also claimed a pair of SEC titles – in 2007 and 2011 – while reaching the league’s title game three times. LSU also appeared in 11 bowl games under Miles, winning seven of them, and won 10 or more games a school-record eight times, which included a 13-0 regular season mark in 2011 when the Tigers were ranked No. 1 in the nation for 11 consecutive weeks.

Since taking over in 2005, Miles guided LSU to five top 10 finishes with three coming in the top five, won double-figure games seven times, produced 22 first team All-Americans and had players win 11 national awards. LSU also leads the SEC with 69 NFL Draft picks during that span, which includes 13 first round selections. LSU led the nation with nine NFL Draft picks in 2014, a year after the Tigers originally set the school mark with nine in 2013. In 2015, LSU had an NFL-best 40 players on opening day rosters and had five former Tigers – all of which played for Miles – make the Pro Bowl.

Miles’ 112 overall wins at LSU ranks him behind only Charles McClendon, who won 137 games in 18 years with the Tigers, while the 64 SEC regular season victories were just one shy of tying McClendon’s school record of 65. Miles is also the only coach in LSU history to beat Auburn, Florida and Alabama in same season – doing it three times – and in 2005, he became the first first-year coach in SEC history to lead a team to the league’s title game.

In the classroom, 242 football players earned their degree since Miles took over, and two out of the last four years LSU has ranked No. 2 in the SEC in graduation rates. Under Miles, LSU produced 187 players who have earned SEC Academic Honor Roll status.

Known by his players as being compassionate, caring and as their coach for a lifetime, the true impact that Miles had on his team and the role that he played in their development on and off the field was easily witnessed following LSU’s 19-7 win over Texas A&M on Nov. 28, 2015 when the Tigers carried their coach off the field on their shoulders in what was one of the most magnificent moments in Tiger Stadium history.

Les Miles by the Numbers
Overall Record at LSU (through 9/24/16) 114-34
NFL Draft Picks (thru 2015; most in SEC since 2006 Draft) 64
Record vs. Unranked Teams 72-11
Record in Tiger Stadium 70-10
Record in SEC Regular Season Games 60-28
Record vs. Top 25 Teams 42-23
Record vs. SEC Western Division 41-20
Record in SEC Home Games 36-10
Record in SEC Road Games 26-18
4th Quarter/OT Comeback Wins at LSU 24
Tiger Stadium-Record Winning Streak 22
Wins over coaches with a national title * 16
Wins vs. Top 10 Teams 16
NFL First-Round Draft Picks (thru 2015) 13
School Record for Single-Draft Picks (2013, 2014) 9
Record in Bowl Games 7-4
Consecutive 10+ Win Seasons 4
Undefeated Seasons in Tiger Stadium 4
Record in BCS Bowl Games 2-1
SEC Championships 2
BCS National Championships 1

* – Came against Steve Spurrier (4 wins), Urban Meyer (3), Nick Saban (3), Philip Fulmer (2), Gene Chizik (2), Larry Coker (1), and Jim Tressel (1).

The LSU Years

Les Miles was named LSU’s 32nd head football coach on Jan. 3, 2005, and his impact with the program was immediate as he directed the Tigers to an 11-2 mark in his first year. The 2005 season served as the starting point for what became the best 10-year stretch of football in school history, one that saw the Tigers win more games than any other school in the SEC during that span. Miles holds the distinction of being the only coach in SEC history to win at least 11 games five times during his first seven years in the league.

Miles, who is 140-53 overall in 14 years as a head coach, has compiled a 112-32 record at LSU, which includes a remarkable 63-28 record in SEC regular season games. Miles is the fastest coach in LSU history to reach milestone victories of 10 (11 games), 20 (24), 30 (35), 40 (48), 50 (63), 60 (76), 70 (87), 80 (98), 90 (113), 100 (126), and 110 (133).

He’s also won 42 games against top-25 teams and 16 against teams in the top 10. On 24 occasions, Miles has led the Tigers to a comeback win in either the fourth quarter or overtime. LSU has been ranked in the Top 25 for 137 of 142 games under Miles.

LSU’s 2015 featured one of the top running backs in college football in Leonard Fournette, who set the school-record for rushing yards (1,953) and rushing TDs (22). Four times in 2015, Fournette rushed for 200 yards or more in a game as he helped the Tigers race out to a 7-0 overall mark and a No. 5 national ranking through the month of October. With a first-time starter at quarterback and counting on youth in several key position groups on defense, LSU debuted at No. 2 in the College Football Playoff Standings and went into November with a 7-0 mark. The Tigers dropped three straight games during the final month of the regular season before rallying to beat Texas A&M, 19-7, the regular season finale. Fournette and the Tigers racked up over 600 yards of offense in closing the 2015 season with a 56-27 trouncing of Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl to finish 9-3 overall and ranked No. 16 in the nation.

Relying on youth at most positions and with just one career combined start at the quarterback position going into the year, LSU still managed to post an 8-5 mark in 2014 despite playing 17 true freshman throughout the season. The Tigers opened the year with a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback against 14th-ranked Wisconsin and climbed to as high as No. 8 in nation four weeks later. Miles picked up his 100th LSU win in the 30-27 victory over Florida in what was the first of three straight conference wins for the Tigers in October. After beating No. 3 ranked Ole Miss, 10-7, in Tiger Stadium, the Tigers were on the cusp of knocking off Top 5-ranked Alabama before a late Crimson Tide rally resulted in an overtime defeat for LSU. LSU closed the regular-season with a 23-17 win over Texas A&M, a victory that secured the school’s 15th straight season of at least eight wins. LSU closed the year against Notre Dame in the Music City Bowl, the 15th straight bowl appearance for the Tigers.

Miles led LSU to a fourth straight season of at least 10 wins with a 10-3 mark in 2013 as the Tigers, despite losing nine NFL Draft picks, won their first four games and six of their first seven and climbed all the way to No. 6 in the nation. Behind a powerful offense and steady defense, LSU won three games against Top 25 teams in 2013, including a 34-10 win over Texas A&M and its Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. Eight of LSU’s 10 wins came by double-figures and two of the three losses were by a total of six points. LSU capped the year with its sixth bowl win under Miles, a 21-14 victory over Iowa in the Outback Bowl. Following the season, LSU led the nation with nine NFL Draft picks, including seven on the offensive side of the ball.

LSU became the first team in SEC history to have a 3,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher in the same season in 2013. LSU also set the school record for rushing touchdowns (37) and the Tigers led the nation in third-down efficiency, converting on 57 percent of their opportunities in 2013.

In 2012, Miles directed the Tigers to a 10-3 mark and the school’s 13th straight bowl appearance. With a rugged schedule that saw LSU face five-consecutive Top- 25 teams, the Tigers used a dominant defense and a steady offense to beat No. 3 South Carolina at home and hold eventual Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel to his worst output of the season in a 24-19 win over Texas A&M.

If not for a last-minute drive by Alabama that erased a 17-14 deficit to beat LSU in Tiger Stadium, it would have been the Tigers in position to play for the SEC title, and perhaps a national championship, instead of the Crimson Tide. With a first-year starter at quarterback in Zach Mettenberger and playing with makeshift offensive line most of the year due to injuries, LSU was still ranked in the Top 10 every week during the regular season and extended the school’s record home winning streak to 22 straight before falling to Alabama in November. LSU reached the Chick-fil-A Bowl and eventually finished the year ranked as high as No. 12 in the nation after a 25-24 setback to Clemson.

The 2011 season was a historic one for the Tigers, going 13-0 for the first time in school history and spending a record 11-straight weeks at No. 1 in the nation. LSU won 12 of its 13 games by double-figures with eight of its 13 wins coming against Top-25 opponents, both school records. As a result, Miles was named National Coach of the Year by four organizations (AP, Home Depot, Walter Camp and Liberty Mutual) as well as being awarded the SEC Coach of the Year honor following LSU’s first 8-0 season in league play. Individually, Tyrann Mathieu was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, while claiming the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defender. In 2011, LSU had a player win the Thorpe Award for the second-straight season, as Morris Claiborne claimed the honor that goes to the nation’s top defensive back.

LSU, playing without returning starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson for the first four games, opened the year with a 40-27 win over No. 3 Oregon in Dallas. That win served as a catalyst for road wins over No. 16 West Virginia (47-21) and Tennessee (38-7) and lopsided home victories against No. 17 Florida (41-11) and No. 19 Auburn (45-10). LSU followed the Auburn game with a thrilling 9-6 overtime win over No. 2 Alabama. Then the Tigers closed out the regular season with a 41-17 win over No. 3 Arkansas and a 42-10 victory over 12th-ranked Georgia in the SEC title game, which put the Tigers into the BCS National Championship game. Miles led LSU to wins over three SEC opponents by the largest margin of victory in the history of the series in 2011 – Ole Miss (49), Auburn (35), and Tennessee (31).

In 2010, LSU had its fourth top-10 finish and recorded its fourth season of at least 11 victories under Miles with an 11-2 mark, which culminated with a dominating 41-24 performance against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Miles guided the Tigers to four fourth quarter comebacks in 2010 as he used gutsy play calling to beat Florida on the road, 33-29. Later in the year, he led LSU to an outstanding all-around effort in a 24-21 victory over Alabama in Tiger Stadium. LSU opened 2010 with seven straight wins and jumped as high as No. 6 in the nation before falling to eventual national champion Auburn in late October. LSU’s two losses in 2010 both came to ranked opponents by a combined margin of just 15 points. Cornerback Patrick Peterson finished his LSU career by winning two national awards – the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back and the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defender.

The Tigers capped a sub-par 2008 regular season by LSU standards with a 38-3 win over 14th-ranked Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, setting the stage for a nine-win season in 2009. The Tigers managed to win nine games, highlighted by its first road win over Georgia since 1987 and a 31-10 trouncing over Auburn, in the rugged SEC despite losing their top three running backs at various points during the season to injury. With a first-year starter at quarterback, LSU won its first five games and climbed as high as No. 4 in the nation in 2009. Of LSU’s four losses, two came against teams ranked Nos. 1 (Alabama) and 3 (Florida), as well as top 10 opponent Penn State in the Capital One Bowl.

After two of the most successful seasons in school history in 2005 and 2006, Miles again led the Tigers to a season of firsts in 2007. LSU became the first school in the Bowl Championship Series era to claim a second BCS National Title with its 38-24 win over Ohio State. LSU’s first BCS title came in 2003 when the Tigers beat Oklahoma, 21-14.

With a 12-2 final record in 2007, the Tigers became the first team in school history to win at least 10 games in three-straight years. The 2007 Tigers also set a then-school record for wins over top 25 teams (7), won the SEC Championship with a backup quarterback and were ranked No. 1 in the BCS Standings during the regular season for the first time in school history. LSU finished the year ranked No. 1 in the nation in both the USA Today Coaches Poll and the AP Poll. Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey became the most decorated defensive player in school history, capturing four national awards (Outland, Lombardi, Nagurski, and Lott) as LSU marched to the national title.

The road to the 2007 SEC title was anything but easy for the Tigers as LSU faced a total of seven top 25 teams, winning six of those games. After spending most of the season ranked among the top three teams in the nation, including a four-week stay at No. 1, the Tigers quickly found out that they had a target on their back each week. Time after time, LSU was getting the best shot from its opponent.

It didn’t help matters that LSU played key stretches of its season with injuries to standout players. Star wideout Early Doucet missed five games; quarterback Matt Flynn wasn’t healthy for close to a month; and All-American Dorsey played hurt for the final five games of the regular season. Still, LSU, with outstanding depth and a will to overcome adversity, found a way to win. Four times in 2007 the Tigers had to come from behind in the fourth quarter to win games, including its 21-14 victory over Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game.

LSU scored a touchdown with a second left to beat Auburn at home and then followed that by scoring two touchdowns in the final three minutes of the Alabama game to record a comeback win over the Crimson Tide.

Against top 10-ranked Florida, LSU scored with just over a minute left, capping a drive that saw the Tigers convert on a pair of fourth-down attempts, to beat the defending national champions, 28-24, in Tiger Stadium.

LSU didn’t lose a game in regulation during the 2007 regular season, falling to both Kentucky and Arkansas in triple overtime.

When it mattered most, playing without an injured Flynn, the Tigers overcame the adversity that followed in the wake of week-long media speculation leading up to the SEC Championship Game about Miles perhaps leaving LSU to take the head coaching position at Michigan. In the end, Miles remained true to his word, staying at LSU and leading the Tigers to a 21-14 win over Tennessee in the SEC title game, a victory that helped propel LSU into the BCS National Championship contest.

In the BCS Championship Game, the Tigers spotted top-ranked Ohio State an early 10-0 lead, but LSU came roaring back to take a convincing win over the Buckeyes by a 38-24 count. The win gave LSU its third national title and it also marked the fourth time that decade the Tigers were victorious in a BCS bowl, the most of any SEC school.

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 during the 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, something that he added to with another 10-plus win season in 2007.

He 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. All four of LSU’s road game opponents were ranked in the top 10 at the time of the game, a first in school history.

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.

In Miles’ inaugural season at LSU he led the Tigers to only the third 11-win season in school history, 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.

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 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.

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 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 to 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 affected by 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 contests in nine straight weeks of play. 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, then a school record for regular season victories over ranked opponents.

After 10-straight weeks of play during the regular season, the Tigers fashioned a 7-1 conference mark and earned a berth in the SEC title game.

Miles became the first first-year coach in SEC history 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.

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 where he posted a 28-21 mark in four years with the Cowboys. Under Miles’ direction, the Cowboys were the only team in the nation to beat Oklahoma twice in the four-year period, 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.

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.

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.

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. 

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 an Alamo Bowl berth in 1997.

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.

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 the Orange Bowl.

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.

Media Darling

Another thing that tends to set Miles apart from many of his peers is that of his personality and his ability to have fun, while at the same time running an elite football program. Miles has twice been involved in commercials for ESPN’s College GameDay. He delivers memorable lines during his press conferences, has a tendency to “taste” grass from the field during games, and has become a viral star on the Internet. He’s twice been part of the NFL Network’s coverage of the NFL Draft.

During the spring of 2013, Miles had the leading role in LSU’s version of “The Harlem Shake”, which has nearly 2 million views on YouTube. His running dialogue with ESPN personality Scott Van Pelt and the exchange of “gifts” between the two resulted in Miles shooting a basketball video dubbed “It Must Have Been The Shoes” in the summer of 2011 that has over 150,000 views on the Internet.

He’s the most followed college football coach on Twitter with over 200,000 followers and he’s one of the most quotable coaches in the game.

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. He often calls or visits sick LSU fans in the hospital, many times showing up unannounced and without even being asked. Each year, Miles and his wife Kathy host an event that generates over $100,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network in Baton Rouge. In addition, he is active in other community service events such as the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center annual fundraiser, the Special Olympics and the Baton Rouge Children’s Advocacy Center Celebrity Waiter Event. In the summer of 2013, Miles rappelled down a 24-story building in downtown Baton Rouge to help bring awareness to adoption in Louisiana.

Miles spent a week in June of 2006 taking part in the USO Tour, where the Tiger head coach visited 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 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 helicopter.

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 a swimmer at the University of Texas. His oldest son Manny led University High School to a state football title in 2014 and is a backup quarterback at the University of North Carolina. His youngest son Ben is a starter on the football team at Catholic High School where he helped lead the Cubs to a state title in 2015, while his youngest daughter Macy is a youth softball pitching standout on one of the top teams in Louisiana.

Coach Miles’ wife Kathy played point guard at Central Michigan and later served as an assistant coach at Michigan, where the couple first met.

The Les Miles File

BIRTHDATE: Nov. 10, 1953
HOMETOWN: Elyria, Ohio
WIFE: Kathy
CHILDREN: Kathryn “Smacker,” Leslie Matthew “Manny,” Ben 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 participated 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.

COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Coached on six Big Ten championship teams and 10 bowl teams at Michigan. Coached offensive line at Colorado from 1982 to 1986 and on two Colorado teams that went to bowl games. Served as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State from 1995-97. Spent three seasons coaching tight ends for the Dallas Cowboys before returning to OSU as head coach prior to the 2001 season. Head coach at Oklahoma State for four years from 2001-04, posting a 28-21 mark and leading the Cowboys to three bowl games. Took over as head coach at LSU in 2005 and enters his 12th season with the Tigers in 2016 with an overall mark of 112-32. Has led LSU to one national title, two SEC titles, and to 11 consecutive bowl games.

Les Miles Year-by-Year

Year
School
Record
Bowl
Notes
Assistant Coach
1980
Michigan
10-2
Rose
Big 10 Champions
1981
Michigan
9-3
Bluebonnet
Ranked No. 12
1982
Colorado
2-8-1
   
1983
Colorado
4-7
   
1984
Colorado
1-10
   
1985
Colorado
7-5
Freedom
 
1986
Colorado
6-6
Bluebonnet
 
1987
Michigan
8-4
Hall of Fame
Ranked No. 19
1988
Michigan
9-2-1
Rose
Rose Bowl Champions
1989
Michigan
10-2
Rose
Big 10 Champions
1990
Michigan
9-3
Cotton
Cotton Bowl Champions
1991
Michigan
10-2
Rose
Big 10 Champions
1992
Michigan
9-0-3
Rose
Rose Bowl Champions
1993
Michigan
8-4
Hall of Fame
 
1994
Michigan
8-4
Holiday
Holiday Bowl Champions
1995
Oklahoma St.
4-8
   
1996
Oklahoma St.
5-6
   
1997
Oklahoma St.
8-4
Alamo
 
1998
Dallas Cowboys
10-6
 
Divisional Champions
1999
Dallas Cowboys
8-8
   
2000
Dallas Cowboys
5-11
   
Head Coach
2001
Oklahoma St.
4-7
   
2002
Oklahoma St.
8-5
Houston
Houston Bowl Champions
2003
Oklahoma St.
9-4
Cotton
 
2004
Oklahoma St.
7-5
Alamo
 
LSU
11-2
Peach
SEC Western Division Champions;
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Champions
LSU
11-2
Sugar
Allstate Sugar Bowl Champions
LSU
12-2
BCS Championship
SEC Champions;
BCS National Champions
LSU
8-5
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A Bowl Champions
LSU
9-4
Capital One
 
2010 LSU 11-2 Cotton Cotton Bowl Champions 
2011 LSU 13-1 BCS Champioship No. 1; SEC Champions
2012 LSU 10-3 Chick-fil-A  
2013 LSU 10-3 Outback Outback Bowl Champions; 4th-Straight 10-Win Season
2014 LSU 8-5 Music City  
2015 LSU 9-3 Texas Texas Bowl Champions
2016 LSU 2-2 Served as head coach for first four games
AT LSU 12 Seasons 114-34 7-4  
AT OSU Four Seasons 28-21 1-2  
OVERALL
16 Seasons 142-55 8-6  

Les Miles vs. All-Opponents

Opponent
Record
Appalachian State
2-0
Alabama
5-7
Arizona
1-0
Arizona State
1-0
Arkansas
6-5
Auburn
8-4
Baylor
4-0
Clemson
0-1
Colorado
1-1
Eastern Michigan 1-0
Florida
7-4
Fresno State
1-0
Furman
1-0
Georgia
1-3
Georgia Tech
1-0
Idaho
1-0
Iowa
1-0 
Iowa State
1-1
Jacksonville St.
1-0
Kansas
2-0
Kansas State
1-1
Kent State
1-0
Kentucky
3-1
Louisiana-Lafayette
3-0
Louisiana-Monroe
2-0
Louisiana Tech
3-1
McNeese State
1-0
Miami (Fla.)
1-0
Middle Tennessee
1-0
Mississippi State
11-1
Missouri
1-1
Missouri State
1-0
Nebraska
1-1
New Mexico State
1-0
North Carolina
1-0
North Texas
3-0
Northern Iowa
1-0
Northwestern State
2-0
Notre Dame
1-0
Ohio State
1-1
Oklahoma
2-2
Ole Miss
7-5
Oregon
1-0
Penn State
0-1
Sam Houston State
1-0
SMU
3-0
South Alabama
First Meeting
South Carolina
4-0
Southern Miss
1-1
Syracuse 1-0
Tennessee
4-1
Texas
0-4
Texas A&M
7-2
TCU
1-0
Texas Tech
2-3
Towson
1-0
Troy
1-0
Tulane
4-0
Tulsa
1-0
UAB
1-0
UCLA
1-1
Vanderbilt
3-0
Virginia Tech
1-0
Washington
2-0
West Virginia
2-0
Western Kentucky
1-0
Wisconsin
1-1
Wyoming
1-0
Total
142-55

2016 Opponents in bold