Head Coach INTRO NOTEBOOK COACHES TIGERS REVIEW THE SEASON HISTORY LES MILES LSU FOOTBALL HEAD COACH t’s nothing short of remark- and friends due to the storm, it behind them, it looked as if things for was on his own, forced to navigate his able what first-year LSU appeared the Tigers would finally get to the LSU football team would gradually LSU team through a treacherous stretch coach Les Miles has been play a home game, this time against get back to normal as the Tigers now of games, while also being sympathetic able to accomplish during his 15th-ranked Arizona State. had a week off before facing No. 10 to those still under the influence of the inaugural season with the However, just as the Tigers began Tennessee in Tiger Stadium on Sept. 24. natural disasters. ITigers. Consider that Miles led the Tigers to prepare for the Sun Devils and the Then, the unthinkable happened. With just five days between the to only the eighth 10-win season in season-opener in Tiger Stadium, it’s Another storm, this one named Rita, hit Tennessee loss and the Mississippi State school history, to a top 10 national rank- learned that the devastation to New southwestern Louisiana, causing severe game, Miles and the Tigers were obvi- ing and a berth in the Southeastern Orleans is much greater than originally damage to more homes, Conference Championship Game despite thought. With the Maravich Center on leaving thousands with- numerous distractions that covered the LSU campus serving as what would out electricity and dis- most of the months of September and become the largest field triage unit in placing even more The Les Miles File October. United States history, it was mutually Louisianians. The combi- BIRTHDATE: . .Nov. 10, 1953 First, Miles had to deal with decided to move the LSU-Arizona State nation of Hurricanes HOMETOWN: . .Elyria, Ohio Hurricane Katrina, a storm that devas- game to Tempe, Ariz. Katrina and Rita forced WIFE: . .Kathy tated the Gulf Coast, in particular New Still, with many in Louisiana under LSU to again shuffle its CHILDREN: . .Kathryn “Smacker”, Leslie Matthew “Manny”, Benjamin, and Macy Grace Orleans and southeastern Louisiana. distress caused by Hurricane Katrina, schedule. Instead of COLLEGE: . .Michigan, '76 Over 30 LSU players had their families the Tigers had to take to the desert to playing Tennessee on a and their homes affected by a storm face a powerful offense in their first Saturday night in Tiger EDUCATION: that postponed what was scheduled to game of the season. Stadium, the Tigers were Graduated from the University of Michigan in 1976 with a be Miles’ first game in Tiger Stadium These were certainly trying times forced to face the degree in economics. against North Texas. With the LSU cam- for everyone in the state of Louisiana, Volunteers on a Monday pus serving as the recovery center for but even more so for a football coach night. An emotionally PLAYING EXPERIENCE: those sick, homeless and displaced due who now had his team carrying the ban- drained LSU team saw a Two-year letterman at Michigan in 1974 and 1975. Played to Hurricane Katrina, football seemed to ner for a state in need of a diversion. 21-0 halftime lead evapo- on two Big 10 Championship Teams as well as participat- be the farthest thing from most people’s LSU football had become a release for rate into a 30-27 over- ing in the 1976 Orange Bowl. Earned all-state honors in minds. However, Miles was able to suc- those consumed with the hurricane. LSU time loss against the football at Elyria High School in Ohio and also earned let- ters in baseball and wrestling. cessfully manage a delicate situation, even stated that its team goals, putting 10th-rankedVols. one that saw his team and coaching playing for the state of Louisiana at the There was no COACHING EXPERIENCE: staff volunteer time to those in need, top of the list. coaching handbook for Coached on six Big 10 championship teams and 10 bowl while still attempting to focus on foot- The Tigers didn’t disappoint as Miles to refer to when it teams at Michigan. Coached offensive line at Colorado ball for at least two hours a day. Miles and his LSU team used a 28-point came to dealing with the from 1982 to 1986 and on two Colorado teams that went After a week of trying to minimize fourth quarter rally to come from hurricanes and prepar- to bowl games. Served as offensive coordinator at the distractions for a football team that behind to defeat Arizona State, 35-31, in ing a team for competi- Oklahoma State from 1995-97. Spent three seasons had their apartments and dorm rooms Tempe. tion during extreme coaching tight ends for the Dallas Cowboys before filled with displaced family members Now with the Arizona State game adverse conditions. Miles returning to OSU as head coach prior to the 2001 season. 2006 LSU FOOTBALL BOWL MEDIA GUIDE 25 Head Coach INTRO NOTEBOOK Les Miles Year-by-Year COACHES YEAR TEAM RECORD BOWL NOTES Assistant Coach TIGERS 1980 Michigan 10-2 Rose Big 10 Champions REVIEW 1981 Michigan 9-3 Bluebonnet Ranked No. 12 THE SEASON 1982 Colorado 2-8-1 1983 Colorado 4-7 HISTORY 1984 Colorado 1-10 1985 Colorado 7-5 Freedom 1986 Colorado 6-6 Bluebonnet 1987 Michigan 8-4 Hall of Fame Ranked No. 19 Miles vs. All Opponents 1988 Michigan 9-2-1 Rose Rose Bowl Champions 1989 Michigan 10-2 Rose Big 10 Champions OPPONENT RECORD North Texas 1-0 1990 Michigan 9-3 Cotton Cotton Bowl Champions Appalachian State 1-0 Northern Iowa 1-0 1991 Michigan 10-2 Rose Big 10 Champions Alabama 1-0 Northwestern State 1-0 1992 Michigan 9-0-3 Rose Rose Bowl Champions Arizona State 1-0 Ohio State 0-1 1993 Michigan 8-4 Hall of Fame Arkansas 1-0 Oklahoma 2-2 1994 Michigan 8-4 Holiday Holiday Bowl Champions Auburn 1-0 Ole Miss 1-1 1995 Oklahoma State 4-8 Baylor 4-0 SMU 3-0 1996 Oklahoma State 5-6 1997 Oklahoma State 8-4 Alamo Colorado 1-1 Southern Miss 1-1 1998 Dallas Cowboys 10-6 Divisional Champions Florida 1-0 Missouri State 1-0 1999 Dallas Cowboys 8-8 Georgia 0-1 Tennessee 0-1 2000 Dallas Cowboys 5-11 Iowa State 1-1 Texas 0-4 Kansas 2-0 Texas A&M 2-2 Head Coach Kansas State 1-1 Texas Tech 1-3 2001 Oklahoma State 4-7 Louisiana-Lafayette 1-0 Tulsa 1-0 2002 Oklahoma State 8-5 Houston Houston Bowl Champions Louisiana Tech 1-1 UCLA 1-1 2003 Oklahoma State 9-4 Cotton Mississippi State 1-0 2004 Oklahoma State 7-5 Alamo Vanderbilt 1-0 2005 LSU 10-2 Peach SEC Western Division Champions Missouri 1-1 Wyoming 1-0 TOTAL 4 Seasons 38-23 Nebraska 1-1 Total 38-23 ously dealt an unfair hand, however, he Cowboys, who built Oklahoma State into lege football. At Michigan, he played for after a season opening loss at Nebraska asked his team to respond and they did. a force in the Big 12, became LSU's 32nd legendary coach Bo Schembechler and and finished the season with back-to- The Mississippi State contest was the head football coach on Jan. 3, 2005. later served on Schembechler's staff. He back victories. The seven consecutive starting point for a stretch of games for In four short years, Miles turned also worked with Gary Moeller at victories marked the longest winning the Tigers that saw LSU win nine the Oklahoma State football program Michigan and Bill McCartney at streak by an Oklahoma State team since straight games. The 37-7 win over the into one that was nationally competi- Colorado. 1949 when the Cowboys posted a perfect Bulldogs was followed by a 34-6 road tive, despite competing in-state against As head coach at Oklahoma State, 9-0 record. victory over Vanderbilt as the Tigers one of the country’s dominant pro- he built a consistent winner out of a Miles' 2003 Oklahoma State team had re-established themselves as one of grams. program that had recorded only one featured one NFL First Round Draft pick the nation’s elite on the football field. Miles honed his head coaching winning season since 1988, and had in wide receiver Rashaun Woods and During what would be 11 consecutive skills at Oklahoma State. Under Miles’ posted a record of 13-20 in the three one second round selection in running weeks of play, the Tigers posted a win direction, the Cowboys were the only years prior to his arrival at OSU. After back Tatum Bell, as the Cowboy offen- over Florida along with overtime victo- team in the nation to beat Oklahoma going 4-7 in his first year as head coach sive attack featured both a 1,000-yard ries against Auburn and Alabama. In all, twice between 2001-2004, and he was in 2001, he took the Cowboys to consec- rusher (Bell) and a 1,000-yard receiver the Tigers beat four teams ranked also the first coach in Oklahoma State utive winning marks of 8-5 in 2002, 9-4 (Woods). among the top 15 in the nation, a school history to post wins over Nebraska and in 2003 and 7-5 in 2004. Miles was the 2002 Big 12 record for regular season victories over Oklahoma in the same season. Miles led Oklahoma State to a four- Conference Coach of the Year after ranked opponents.