Who is Les Miles' wife, Kathy? Looking at former LSU HC's family & background

Les Miles made a name for himself as a coach in the college football world. After spending two decades as an assistant coach, he took on his first head coaching role at Oklahoma State in 2001, before later leading LSU and Kansas. His wife, Kathy Miles, has been a significant support throughout his career. Here's a closer look at her.

Who is Les Miles’ wife, Kathy?

Les Miles has been married to his wife Kathy for more than three decades. The couple met during their time at the University of Michigan while Les was an assistant coach in the Wolverines football team and Kathy was an assistant in the women's basketball program.

Like her husband, Kathy Miles was an athlete during her college years. She played college basketball at Central Michigan where she was a point guard. She teamed up with the Michigan women's basketball team as a graduate assistant following her college playing career.

Her first encounter with Les came when Michigan's women's basketball head coach asked to meet him to discuss recruiting tips. The meeting eventually sparked the beginning of a romantic relationship. She reportedly dated Les Miles for five years before exchanging vows in 1993.

When she started as a graduate assistant at Michigan, Kathy Miles had the ambition of becoming a college basketball head coach. However, following her marriage to Les Miles, she committed herself to running the family and ensuring a brilliant career for her husband.

The marriage between the two has produced four children; Kathryn, Manny, Benjamin and Macy. Like their parents, the four children are proud athletes, playing different sports across different levels. They obviously have Kathy and Les to inspire them in the right way.

Kathy took the responsibility of running the family while Les was busy with his coaching job. She once shared with ESPN the challenges of maintaining a family life as the wife of a football head coach.

“It’s natural to at times wish he was around more, but they definitely understand his job," Kathy Miles. "Someday, like most kids, as they become adults and have jobs, I think they’ll really look back and have great admiration at how he handled such a stressful job and still tried to keep his hand in the parenting.”

Kathy Miles is deeply committed to charitable work alongside her husband, showcasing their zeal to give back to society. They host an event annually in Baton Rouge to raise funds for the Children’s Miracle Network

The couple is also actively involved with other organizations, including the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, the Special Olympics and the Baton Rouge Children’s Advocacy Center.