Les Miles is out of his position as Kansas football coach four days after a report accusing him of inappropriate behavior with female students while he was training at LSU was made public.
Kansas sports director Jeff Long said on Friday that the university would be conducting a thorough review to determine the appropriate steps in Miles’ future and on Monday night announced that they “agreed to part ways” with the coach. .
“I am extremely disappointed by our university, fans and everyone involved with our football program,” Long said in a statement. “There are a lot of young talents on this football team and I have no doubt that we will be identifying the right person to lead this program. We will immediately start looking for a new head coach with an outside company to help us with this process. We need to win football games and that is exactly what we are going to do ”.
Mike DeBord, who was hired last month as a Kansas offensive coordinator, will serve as the program’s interim head coach until an interim coach is determined.
Last Thursday, a report released on behalf of LSU showed that an internal 2013 investigation at the school accused Miles of inappropriate behavior towards female students, including allegations that he contacted some via Facebook and text, found them off campus alone and kissed at least one of them.
The report did not find that he had sex with any of the women, and Miles vehemently denied having kissed the student, saying he had done nothing wrong and was a mentor for young women at the university.
According to a copy of Miles’ employment contract with Kansas, the university would have “just cause” to terminate its contract with Miles if the coach had “discredited conduct that is inconsistent with the professional standards expected of a sports team coach. university. “
Another clause of the contract that defines “just cause” is the “participation of the head coach in any act, situation or occurrence, or any conduct that, in the judgment of KU Athletics, leads the head coach and / or KU to public discredit, embarrassment, contempt or ridicule … “
It is not clear whether these clauses have been triggered; the terms of the separation agreement are expected to be released in the coming days, according to the university statement.
“This is certainly a difficult day for me and my family,” said Miles in a statement on Monday. “I love this university and the young people on our football program. I really enjoyed being the head coach of KU and I know that you are in a better place now than when I arrived.
“To our student-athletes, I want you to remember that you came to play for KU and graduate here. So I beg you to stay and develop what we started and do all the things we talked about doing together. There is a bright future for all of you and for KU Football. “
Miles ‘lawyer, Peter Ginsberg, last Saturday described Kansas’ decision to leave Miles on leave as being based on “media strikes” and classified it as “disturbing and unfair”.
The Taylor Porter law firm conducted the investigation on behalf of LSU. Ginsberg told ESPN on Thursday that the results of the investigation “should put an end to the baseless and inaccurate media reports that Coach Les Miles was involved in an improper touch on a track and field student volunteer eight years ago.”
On Friday, a second report, conducted by the law firm Husch Blackwell, detailed LSU’s systemic failures to properly report sports-related incidents of sexual misconduct and abuse. Part of that report showed that former LSU athletic director Joe Alleva recommended in 2013 that Miles be fired from his coaching role because of the aforementioned accusations of inappropriate behavior towards female students.
Miles, 67, was 3-18 in two seasons in Kansas, including a record 0-9 in 2020. The only victory for the Jayhawks ‘big 12 during Miles’ two seasons in Lawrence was over Texas Tech in 2019. Kansas haven’t won more than three games in a season since 2009.
Miles took LSU to a national championship in 2007, and the Tigers played a national championship under his supervision in 2011.
Long and Miles worked together in Michigan in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Before Long signed him to KU, Miles was out of training for parts of three seasons after being fired by LSU in 2016.