Les Miles: Not returning to Michigan

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Les Miles will not be the next coach at Michigan. So says Les Miles.

After LSU's Monday evening bowl practice, the Tigers' coach addressed persistent rumors that he will return to his alma mater, where he played under Bo Schembechler and spent a decade as an assistant coach.

Miles refused to be quoted on the record in the post-practice chat with reporters, but he sent a clear message: A return to Ann Arbor is not going to happen. He and his agent, George Bass, have not heard from Michigan, Miles said, and he would not change jobs even if Michigan made contact.

Miles also has told LSU athletic officials that he has not been contacted by Michigan and that he has no intention of leaving the Tigers, LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette said.

Miles is nearing the end of his 10th season at LSU, where he has won two SEC titles and one Bowl Championship Series crown. Miles-to-Michigan rumors have emerged in the past -- most notably late in the 2007 season, when he famously addressed reports on the subject prior to the SEC championship game -- but he has remained at LSU each time the Wolverines have had a coaching vacancy.

Since Michigan fired Brady Hoke on Dec. 2, Miles has shot down questions about a return to the Wolverines, but never as emphatically as he did Monday. After unofficially addressing the Michigan job opening, Miles went on to discuss several subjects related to his current job, including injuries, underclassmen who might become early entries in the 2015 NFL draft and the Tigers' upcoming bowl matchup with Notre Dame.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.