LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) Les Miles has plenty of experience taking over floundering Big 12 football programs.
Oklahoma State was coming off three straight losing seasons when he arrived in Stillwater for the 2001 season, a highly regarded coach coming off a stint with the Dallas Cowboys. And in short order, the man in the white cap built Oklahoma State into a perennial bowl team before heading off to LSU.
Now, Miles is back to turn the same trick at Kansas.
As bad as the Cowboys were 18 years ago, the Jayhawks present an even bigger challenge. They havent had a winning season since 2008, when Mark Mangino was still on the sideline, and theyve gone through three other head coaches and an interim coach without finding any success.
In the 10 years before Miles arrived in Stillwater, Oklahoma State was 40-69-3 with one winning season. The past 10 years in Lawrence, Kansas is 23-97 with five wins in their best season.
The perpetually upbeat, uber-confident Miles scoffs at records, though. He dismisses the lackluster numbers that the Jayhawks put up on offense last season, and he couldnt care less how Kansas fared defensively against the air-it-out, pass-happy Big 12. Because all Miles cares about is the raw talent on campus that he can mold into the foundation of a turnaround.
I think we have a better talent base here at Kansas than I had when I went with Oklahoma State, he said. We were allowed to recruit a very significant number at Oklahoma State, recruited very well to start. I think thats the same thing here. I think we will recruit well, over time, and I think you will see this Kansas team is much more talented than their record shows.
There is undeniable talent, but the challenge for Miles will be maximizing it.
The Jayhawks return one of the Big 12s best running back corps, though offensive freshman of the year Pooka Williams will sit out the opener after some legal trouble. Khalil Herbert and Dom Williams give Kansas the kind of versatile depth that could make the run game a cornerstone.
We have the best running back group in the nation, Herbert said. Theres no drop-off.
In the defensive backfield, senior safety Mike Lee has established himself as one of the leagues biggest hitters, and Corione Harris flashed star potential in 11 games as a freshman last season.
I feel like were experienced enough to be at the top of the Big 12, Lee said.
There are plenty more holes than plugs, though.
QUARTERBACK QUESTIONS
