Miles signs 5-year contract to coach Kansas football

Les Miles walked confidently to the podium and slipped on a familiar white hat.

This one had "KU" embroidered across the front.

The quirky and energetic coach who led LSU to the 2007 national title, after building a consistent winner at Oklahoma State, is back in the Big 12. His task this time is to turn around a long-suffering program at Kansas, where years of losing have left fan apathy at historically high levels.

"When I first came to Kansas," Miles recalled during his introductory news conference Sunday, "I looked around and said, 'Man, it's beautiful. It's green. It's a spectacular place. I said, 'Why aren't they more successful?' I promise you, I carried that thought with me as we went."

It was a thought that accompanied him to Lawrence once more.

Miles signed a five-year contract that will pay him $2,775,000 annually with retention bonuses of $775,000 due in November 2020 and $500,000 in November 2022. The deal includes several other incentives in a sign that athletic director Jeff Long plans to invest heavily in the program.

"Even though I knew Coach Miles, in the end you don't know until they sign on the dotted line," Long said. "You have a number of coaches you're talking to because you have to talk to them. You don't know who is going to jump in the boat with you to tackle this project until they do."

The 65-year-old Miles was considered the front-runner for the Jayhawks' job from the moment David Beaty was told he would not be retained two weeks ago. Miles has a close relationship with Long dating to their days together at Michigan, and Miles made it clear he wanted back in coaching.