The document summarizes the hiring of Les Miles as the new head football coach at Kansas University. It provides background on Miles' successful coaching career at Oklahoma State and LSU, where he won a national championship. It also discusses Kansas' struggling football program recently. The document then analyzes whether Miles can help turn the program around by bringing credibility, recruiting success, fundraising abilities, and winning culture to Kansas.

2. By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 This past weekend Kansas University made a significant hire
with the announcement that Les Miles would become the new
Jayhawk football coach.
 We all remember Coach Miles from his great run at LSU
where he won a National Championship, captured 2 SEC titles
and compiled a .719 career winning percentage.
 What most people forget is that Les Miles also had a very
impressive four-year stint at Head Coach at Big 12 member
Oklahoma State from 2001-2004.
 Taking over a program that had 3 consecutive losing seasons,
Miles led the Cowboys football program to a 28-21 record and
earned three bowl game invitations (Houston, Cotton,
Alamo). Miles beat the Oklahoma Sooners his first two years.
He was named Big 12 Coach of the Year in his 2nd season at
Stillwater.
Les Miles won 72% of his games at LSU
Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
Background: About Les Miles
Les Miles took OSU to 3 bowl games in 4 years

3. Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
Background: Kansas Football
By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 Kansas football has hit rock bottom these past five years. Under
Head Coach David Beaty the Jayhawks were 6-41, a paltry .128
winning percentage. Last year Kansas lost 11 games by at least
double digits. The 2018 season was better but Kansas still has
won only three games.
 But remember that the Jayhawks under Head Coach Mark
Mangino finished 12-1 in 2007,earning an Orange Bowl bid.
Mangino had the Jayhawks ranked as high as #2 in the country
during the middle of the 2007 season.
 Here are some thoughts about the hiring of Les Miles as Kansas
head coach and whether we think the “Old Mad Hatter” might
have success in Lawrence:
David Beaty went 6-41 as Kansas’ Head Football Coach
Coach Mark Mangino led KU to the 2007 Orange Bowl

4. By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 Les Miles Brings Instant Credibility.
 Les Miles has been one of the most successful college coaches in this
country.
 His accomplishments bring instant credibility to the Kansas football
program in terms of excitement and energy which should dramatically
help recruiting and fundraising.
 The man is master of the press conference.
 He has huge notoriety unlike the hiring of recently fired former head
coach David Beaty who was a relatively unknown coach and brought
little fanfare to the Kansas football program.
Coach Les Miles at KU Press Conference
LSU won 2007 national title under Coach Miles
Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
Les Miles Brings Instant Credibility to KU Football

5. By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 National Championship Coaches in Basketball and Football.
 Kansas is the only university where both its head coaches in
basketball and football have each won a national championship.
 Miles captured his title in 2007.
 Basketball head coach Bill Self earned his national title in 2008.
 Can both basketball and football enjoy success at the same time?
Here is an interesting blog I wrote about the subject in September.
(https://medium.com/@mattkupec/can-football-and-basketball-
success-co-exist-at-the-same-college-ede605a32631)
Coach Bill Self won the 2008 NCAA National Title
LSU National Title in 2007
Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
KU Only School with Football & Men’s Basketball Championship Coaches

6. By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 Will Memorial Stadium return to Natural Grass Turf?
 One of the most treasured moments in college football coaching history
came in 2010 when during the course of a key game Miles was
captured on camera eating a piece of the LSU home filed grass!
Legendary stuff!
 Kansas went away from regular grass with the placement of artificial
turf in 1970. Field Turf was installed in 2009.
 Let’s hope Miles will insist on going back to natural grass and maintain
his tradition of eating Memorial stadium grass as the Jayhawks battle
in the Big 12!
Les Miles Legendary “Eating Grass” During LSU game
Will KU Memorial Stadium return to natural playing surface?
Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
Eating Grass – Will KU Return to Natural Playing Surface?

7. By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 The Cost of Hiring Les Miles.
 Some pundits have talked about what an expensive hire it was for Kansas to
bring in Les Miles to be head coach.
 His base salary is $2.775 million per year in a five-year contract. He has
retention provisions that kick in after the 2020 and 2022 seasons. There are
normal bonus clauses as well that all coaches earn in their compensation
packages.
 Recently fired head coach David Beaty earned $1.8 million this year and his
contract included an additional $50,000 bonus for each FBS win! Beating
Rutgers and TCU this year earned Beaty an additional $100,000.
 So, the annual cost of bringing on Miles as head coach is less than $700K per
year.
 Also, look at other deals around the college football landscape – Jimbo Fisher
got $7.5M guaranteed per year at LSU for 10 years. Just think what Louisville
will pay to lure Purdue’s Jeff Brohm away from his nearly $4M per year deal
in Lafayette?
 Last year, over 20 coaches made more than $4M per year according to USA
Today. So, Kansas may have gotten themselves a pretty good deal.
Will Purdue’s Jeff Brohm leave for Louisville?
Texas A&M paid $7.5M to lure Jimbo Fisher to College Station
Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
The Cost of Hiring Les Miles

8. By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 Can Miles Recruit at Kansas?
 This is one of the biggest questions facing Les Miles.
 He is going from having access to one of the major hotbeds for
recruiting to a region that is relatively scarce in major football
talent.
 Miles has said that he needs to recruit successfully within a 500
mile radius of Kansas.
 But how many recruits are really in that area? The chart below
illustrates the challenges Coach Miles faces in recruiting.
 Granted he needs to “own the 500 mile radius” but clearly he will
need to bring in additional talent from the hotbed recruiting
states as well.
Kansas vs. LSU Recruiting Base
Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
Can Les Miles Recruit at Kansas?

9. By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 Can Miles Win at Kansas with the Facilities?
 Coach Miles is going from football-crazy LSU to a basketball-first Kansas.
 LSU plays in 102,231 seat capacity Tiger Stadium which is the 6th largest
stadium in America. Kansas plays in the 52,530 seat David Booth Kansas
Memorial Stadium with many seats left open during football games.
 Kansas’ facilities are old, outdated and need major fixing. At LSU, Miles
had access to the finest facilities in the country.
 But it is my opinion that with Miles notoriety and accomplished past, he
will be able to dramatically improve fundraising for Kansas and attract
new money to help AD Jeff Long re-launch his $315 million “Raise the
Chant” campaign to support and upgrade KU football facilities.
 I saw the impact Mack Brown had on football fundraising at both UNC
and Texas, allowing those two institutions to dramatically enhance their
football facilities. Miles will do the same for Kansas.
Kansas’ David Booth Memorial Stadium
LSU Tiger Stadium seats 102,231
Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
Can Les Miles Win with the KU Football Facilities?

10. By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 Will He Bring a More Potent Offense?
 One of Les Miles failures at LSU was the inconsistent and ineffective
offenses he had at LSU.
 The Tigers ranked just #68, #43 and #76 in total offense in FBS during his
last three years. Wide open, fast paced offenses were not existent in Baton
Rouge during Miles tenure.
 But in fairness to him, LSU has not brought any high powered offense
under Coach Ed Orgeron. Watching the LSU today is as painful as
watching the LSU offense under Miles.
 Miles problem at LSU was the success enjoyed by Nick Saban at Alabama!
Watching Alabama win and content for national title year after year was
the ultimate factor that brought Miles down at LSU.
 But that being said, let’s be hopeful that Miles – who has self-admittedly
said he understands he needs more offense – can bring offense back into
his game plan, particularly in the high flying, high scoring Big 12
conference.
Big 12 is known for its explosive offenses
LSU ran a run 1st offense under Les Miles
Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
Will Les Miles Bring a High-Flying Offense to KU?

11. By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 Can Miles Turnaround the Kansas Football Program?
 At the press conference to announce the hiring of Les Miles, Kansas AD
Jeff Long talked about “breaking the cycle of losing.”
 Can it be done at Kansas? Think to programs like Stanford, Wisconsin,
Northwestern and even in-state Kansas State. All four had horrendous
stretches of really bad football but have turned around their football
programs.
 Did you know that Northwestern has won more football games since 2007
than Michigan?
 When I quarterbacked the UNC football team we played against
Northwestern twice and they were really bad. We shutout Northwestern
31-0 at a game at then Dyche Stadium (know Ryan Field) where nobody
was in attendance and it felt like a spring practice scrimmage.
 Not so anymore as Coach Pat Fitzgerald has done a wonderful job as
evidenced by Northwestern capturing the Big Ten Western Division title
this year. So, it can be done at Kansas!
Barry Alvarez turned Wisconsin into a consistent winner
Northwestern captured Big Ten West Division Title
Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
Can Les Miles Win at KU?

12. By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 Final Assessment of the Les Miles Hire at Kansas.
 I think Kansas hit a homerun with the hire of Les Miles as
its new football coach.
 Will he win Big 12 titles and challenge annually for a Major
Bowl game? I don’t think so.
 But I do believe Kansas has hired a man who has a lot of fire
left in him, a tons of energy, and a well-chronicled
successful history as a coach who will make Kansas
competitive.
 Good luck to Coach Les and let’s hope we get to see him eat
some of the Kansas Stadium grass in the years ahead!
Headline in Kansas newspapers
Kansas AD Jeff Long makes great hire of Les Miles
Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
Can Les Miles Win at KU?

13. By Matt Kupec (mattkupecqb.com)
 Matt Kupec is a fundraising professional with 32 years of significant
higher education development experience. He has directed three major
university fundraising campaigns and nearly $5 billion has been raised
under his leadership. He has led the fundraising programs at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hofstra University, Moffitt
Cancer Center & Research Institute and HelpMeSee, a New York City
based non-profit.
 Matt is a former record-breaking four year starting quarterback for the
UNC Tar Heels. During his career he set 19 season and career passing
records. Two of which still stand – most consecutive games with a TD
pass and most wins as a starting QB. Matt also set the ACC record for
TD passes his senior year at UNC. Matt was named MVP of the 1977
Liberty Bowl and the 1979 Gator Bowl becoming the 1st player in
Atlantic Coast Conference history to be named MVP of two bowl
games.
Matt Kupec today
Matt Kupec QB at UNC
Matt Kupec: An Analysis of the Kansas Les Miles Hire
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