Les Miles staying at LSU
Updated at
3:10 p.m.
Les Miles is staying at LSU with a new deal and a raise, LSU officials announced Wednesday afternoon.
The news comes a day after reports surfaced that the University of Arkansas made a $27.5 million, five-year contract offer to Miles to coach the Razorbacks
Details of the contract changes are still in the negotiation process and will be announced at a later date, and are subject to approval of the LSU Board of Supervisors, according to a news release from LSU.
“Les Miles is one of the premier coaches in the country and has LSU in contention for championships year in and year out,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said. “Only two coaches in the 119-year history of LSU football have coached as many years at this school and only one has won more games. Les Miles has made a commitment to LSU and LSU is solidifying its commitment to Les Miles.”
The 2011 National Coach of the Year, Miles has an eight-year record of 85-20 at LSU going into its 2012 bowl game. He has won 81 percent of his games since coming to Baton Rouge in 2005, the fifth best winning percentage in the history of the SEC, while taking the Tigers to the best eight-year record in school history. He has led LSU to four top five finishes, two Southeastern Conference titles and the BCS National Championship in 2007. Two years in a row LSU has posted the second best Graduation Success Rate in the SEC, trailing only Vanderbilt.
“The coaching business is a competitive one and it is important to compensate our coach for his accomplishments and his worth,” Alleva said. “Les has not received a pay increase since his salary was automatically elevated following our national championship in 2007 and he has continued to keep LSU on the national stage.
“Our intent was to address his contract following this year’s bowl game, but speculation about other job opportunities accelerated our process a little,” Alleva said. “I think we have accomplished the important step of securing Les Miles as our head coach for the long-term good of the program.”
More details to come.
Information from the LSU news release was used in this report