Oklahoma State University Athletics
Les Miles Named Big 12 Coach of the Year
December 03, 2002 | Cowboy Football
Dec. 3, 2002
Oklahoma State University Head Football Coach Les Miles has been named the Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year by the Associated Press. The announcement was made Tuesday afternoon.
Miles just completed his second regular season and has the Cowboys headed for their first bowl appearance since 1997. OSU finished the 2002 regular season with a 7-5 overall record and a 5-3 mark in Big 12 play. The Cowboys finished tied for third in the South Division.
OSU's second season under Miles was a memorable one. The former offensive coordinator at OSU (1995-97) became the first football coach in OSU history to post victories over Nebraska and Oklahoma in the same season.
Miles and his staff stayed the course through a bumpy start. The Cowboys were 2-4 midway through the 2002 regular season. Back-to-back wins over Nebraska and Texas A&M righted the ship and the Cowboys would go on to win five of their final six regular season games, including a 38-28 win over Oklahoma in the season finale.
It was the second straight year a Miles-coached OSU team has beaten Oklahoma and the five-out-of-six finish is the best since 1988 when the Cowboys won five of their final six regular season games before posting a 62-14 win over Wyoming in the Holiday Bowl.
Miles was flattered by the award. "I know there are a lot of deserving guys and a lot of guys who could make a case for their position. I'm very fortunate to have a great staff and a group of guys who love to play," he said.
Miles and the Cowboys are awaiting a decision on where they will appear in bowl game. The complete bowl scenario for Big 12 Conference teams should clarify after the BCS has made its bowl selections Sunday afternoon.
