[NCAA] Sources: Miles to become new LSU coach

[Steffan]

Oklahoma State's Les Miles has accepted an offer to coach LSU and will be introduced as the Tigers' new coach at a Monday afternoon news conference, ESPN has learned.

Miles traveled to Baton Rouge on Sunday to meet with LSU officials. He told the Tulsa World on Saturday that "if things work out, there will be something official [to announce] on Monday."

LSU is expected to hold a 1 p.m. ET news conference.

The Cowboys are expected to move quickly to replace Miles, with Oklahoma State sources telling ESPN Radio's Doug Gottlieb that offensive coordinator Mike Gundy is the odds-on-favorite to be promoted. Gundy met with university president Dr. David Schmidley on Sunday to discuss the job, the sources said.

At least five and as many as six current Oklahoma State assistants will leave Stillwater with Miles to join his staff, sources have told Gottlieb. The main sticking point in the negotiations had been that Miles insisted that his assistants be given three-year contracts -- the same insistence that Miles had during his tenure at Oklahoma State.

In his four years at Oklahoma State, the 51-year-old Miles was 28-21. This was the third consecutive year that the Cowboys had gone to a bowl game, which hadn't happened at OSU since 1985.

Miles' hiring will officially end a saga of a coaching search at LSU. Miles emerged as the top candidate Saturday after Louisville coach Bobby Petrino withdrew from consideration.

The job opened when Nick Saban announced on Christmas night that he was taking the head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins. LSU hoped to complete its search quickly to allow the new coach to immediately get involved with recruiting. The process was delayed because the most prominent candidates were coaching in bowl games or in the NFL.

Arkansas football coach Houston Nutt withdrew from consideration Thursday. LSU had hoped to interview Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio, but Del Rio backed out of an interview Friday.

Miles has experience as an NFL assistant and as a head coach in a power conference. He also comes as a Louisiana outsider.

This year Miles revamped his offense after losing two potential starting quarterbacks -- one to professional baseball, the other to injury. Oklahoma State went from a prolific passing attack to a run-first operation and still managed to win seven games and go to the Alamo.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1957706

[Snipe]

If he does not at least make it to the SEC Championship game once within the next 2 years he should be fired. LSU is loaded with talent. ALL of the offensive players that were on the field in the 4th quarter of the Capitol One Bowl are returning. The no. 3 ranked defense is losing 4 starters I think. Look for the defense to go down the drain. Saban will be missed in Baton Rouge. It is probably a difficult act for anyone to follow (that was available for the position anyway).

[mattmatik]

Houston Nutt would have been a great fit at LSU. His Arkansas teams are always competitive and he has more of a Nick Saban-type approach to college football: ball control and defense.

I wouldn't be surprised if nobody in the SEC goes undefeated next year. With the coaches that will be in the league, almost every single conference game should be a fight to the finish; especially in the SEC East.

[Aaron Veteran]

Houston Nutt would have been a great fit at LSU. His Arkansas teams are always competitive and he has more of a Nick Saban-type approach to college football: ball control and defense.

I wouldn't be surprised if nobody in the SEC goes undefeated next year. With the coaches that will be in the league, almost every single conference game should be a fight to the finish; especially in the SEC East.

585221125[/snapback]

Sometimes I wish the Dawgs would leave the SEC, every week it doesn't matter who you are playing (well, except Kentucky) either team has a shot at winning.

[BroChaos Veteran]

big 10 is the same way man. in the last 15 or so years, pretty much every team has won the conference. anybody can be good.

it looks like this whole coaching thing has finally come to end. everybody was stealing everybody elses coaches, and with saban going to the nfl, there's gotta be one team who doesn't get a former head coach as their coach, and thats okie state.