LSU offers job to Miles

ORLANDO, Fla. - Multiple news sources are reporting that Oklahoma State head coach Les Miles will be offered a job to take over the LSU football program for the departing Nick Saban.

Miles emerged as the frontrunner for the position on New Year's Day after a series of candidates withdrew their names from consideration. A day before the Tigers were set to take on Iowa in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Louisville's Bobby Petrino made it publicly known he was not interested in the position in Baton Rouge.

Petrino's decision came as LSU officials, including athletics director Skip Bertman, were travelling to meet with Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio. The meeting between the two parties never took place, and LSU officials reportedly were ready to extend an offer to Miles at that time.

An official announcement from LSU about Miles could be made as early as Sunday, although it may not be until midweek when his hiring is made official.

Miles finished his fourth season with Oklahoma State with a 33-7 loss to Ohio State in Wednesday's Alamo Bowl. The Cowboys were 28-21 during Miles' time in charge of the program. He was named the Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Cowboys to an 8-5 record and its first bowl game since 1997. OSU has been to a bowl the last three years, including its first January bowl, the 2004 Cotton Bowl, since 1949. Prior to that year, the Cowboys hadn't been to back-to-back bowl games since 1987-88.

Miles was the first OSU coach to post wins over Oklahoma and Nebraska in the same season and beat the Sooners in each of his first two season.

Before taking over at Oklahoma State for the 2001 season, Miles was a tight ends coach with the Dallas Cowboys and served as the OSU offensive coordinator.

A University of Michigan alumnus, Miles was an assistant for the Wolverines under his head coach, Bo Schembechler. He left the Wolverines to coach with Bill McCartney at Colorado and later returned to Ann Arbor for another eight seasons as an assistant.