So Les turned down more $$ at Michigan to stay at LSU

quote:

---

Les Miles turned down an offer to coach at his alma mater, Michigan, in 2011. So says former LSU athletic director Skip Bertman.

"Les Miles turned that job down for more money at Michigan. He turned it down," Bertman said Tuesday during a two-hour interview on the "Sports Today" radio show on Baton Rouge's ESPN Radio affiliate, 104.5 FM. "He would never say that because he's a very humble guy. But I was there, he turned it down."

Will-he-or-won't-he Michigan rumors surrounded Miles' LSU tenure for many years, with his name popping up each time the Wolverines had a coaching vacancy. Miles famously denied interest in the job at an impromptu news conference before the 2007 SEC championship game, and remained at LSU for 11-plus seasons through his firing last Sunday.

Then-Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon -- previously the CEO of Domino's Pizza -- indicated at the time that he opposed hiring Miles, but Bertman reiterated that Miles truly could have returned to Ann Arbor, where he played and coached under the legendary Bo Schembechler.

"I swear to God that's true. He turned it down," Bertman said. "LSU had just given him this new contract and the president of Domino's Pizza flew down on a Domino's plane and offered him and he says, 'You've got to tell me tonight, Les, because if you don't say yes I'm going to get Brady Hoke.' And sure enough, he took off and the next day you read in the paper that he hired Brady Hoke."

---