LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said on Saturday that Les Miles will continue to coach the Tigers. He made the announcement following the team's 19-7 win over Texas A&M. Miles' job security had come under heavy speculation in recent weeks.
"I want to make it very clear that Les Miles is our football coach and he'll continue to be our football coach," Alleva said. "... I'm looking forward to working with coach Miles as he leads this team to a bowl game and another great recruiting class."
Miles said Alleva told him following the game that he would not be fired. Miles has won 111 games in 11 seasons as the Tigers' coach, but he came under scrutiny as LSU collapsed from a 7-0 start, suffering three consecutive losses that eliminated the team from SEC title contention. Miles has lost five consecutive games to rival Alabama, another reason why his success at the school hasn't been met with resounding approval.
Said Miles: "When the press surmises doom and gloom, and there is just no way ... if we just get rid of this guy, it becomes fashionable to talk like that. Then that recruiting class that we all want to be here doesn't come. To me, it'll be nice to reacquaint myself with some of the guys that now know that I can be here."
Miles is among the top recruiters in college football, and LSU has produced 64 NFL draft picks since he took over the program in 2005. Miles won a national championship to close out the 2007 season and reached another national title game at the end of the 2011 season, where the Tigers lost to Alabama.
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