Following a ruling by the NCAA to vacate 37 victories of former LSU Tigers head coach Les Miles between 2012 and 2015, the multi-decade coaching veteran is no longer eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame.
Before this ruling, Miles had a 145-73 record, resulting in a .665 winning percentage. However, after the 37 wins were vacated, he holds a record of 108-73 — which amounts to a .597 winning percentage and leaves him just shy of the .600 needed for Hall of Fame eligibility.
The NCAA handed down these penalties after officials learned that the father of former player Vadal Alexander received $180,150 from a booster who embezzled funds from a Baton Rouge children's hospital, according to Stewart Mandel of The Athletic. Alexander played with the Tigers from 2012 to 2015.
Interestingly, these penalties came down following a review from the NCAA Independent Accountability Resolution Panel in a case primarily investigating Will Wade, the former men's basketball coach. Before this ruling, LSU imposed scholarship reductions and postseason bans on itself in 2020 due to a booster paying the father of a player. Included in the 2020 penalties was a two-year ban for former wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. because he gave $2,000 in cash to players following their national championship win.
Miles last coached for the Kansas Jayhawks but was let go after allegations of sexual misconduct during his time at LSU became public, involving unreported sexual harassment allegations by a student assistant. Joe Alleva, the LSU athletic director, had recommended Miles be terminated at the time, but Miles kept his job until a 2-2 start to the 2016 season.
As a head coach, Miles coached at Oklahoma State from 2001-2004, then spent the next 12 seasons at LSU before coaching at Kansas from 2019 to 2020, including a 0-9 season during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign.
