Kansas is finalizing a contract to make Les Miles its next football coach, according to a report from Sports Illustrateds Ross Dellenger.
Miles, who turned 65 on Saturday, is best known for his 12-year tenure at LSU from 2005-16, where he went 114-34 overall and won a national championship in 2007.
Dellenger reported that Miles and KU have been negotiating this week. On Thursday, LSU announced a $1.5 million buyout settlement with Miles that officially closed out his previous contract with the school. CBS Sports also reported KU and Miles were finalizing a deal.
KU athletic director Jeff Long responded Friday night to The Stars request for comment, saying he could not confirm SIs report that Miles to KU was imminent.
This much is certain: Long has plenty of familiarity with Miles. The two worked together at Michigan from 1988-94 when Long was an administrator and Miles was an assistant coach. Current KU associate athletic director Mike Vollmar also was with Miles at Michigan while serving in an administrative position from 1988-90.
Long, as Arkansas athletic director, also previously tried to hire Miles in 2012, according to a report in the New Orleans Time-Picayune. The newspaper reported that Longs offer to get him away from LSU was five years and $27.5 million. Miles later said he had interest in the job because of his relationship with Long, whom he called a wonderful colleague on a radio interview with Bo Mattingly. Miles ultimately decided he didnt want to move his family from LSU, with Long later hiring Bret Bielema at Arkansas.
Miles coming to KU would bring immediate national attention to a program that had lost local interest. KUs last two home games were attended by 15,096 and 15,543, with more than half the fans in the latter game wearing Iowa State gear in KUs 27-3 loss.
The Miles-to-KU rumors this month already have had some media personalities buzzing. ESPNs Scott Van Pelt made a Nov. 6 plea on SportsCenter for Long to bring in Miles, while Fox broadcaster Tim Brando he worked in the booth with Miles last season tweeted that Miles would be an incredible hire.
This would be the second time in recent years that KU has gone with a flashy name as its head coach. Former athletic director Sheahon Zenger hired Charlie Weis in December 2011, a disastrous move that ended when Weis was fired three years later. Miles, though, would come in with more proven success as a college coach than Weis.
Miles would replace David Beaty, who was told last week by Long that he would not be retained as KUs coach following the season. Beaty is 6-40 in his four seasons with two games remaining.
Miles would appear to fit the criteria Long spoke about when he last spoke publicly to reporters on Nov. 3. Long said he wanted to seek out a candidate that had a history and track record of building a program while also commenting that age would likely not be a factor with his decision.
