Coach Les Miles will speak at Rotary Wednesday | Business

LSU Football Coach Les Miles will be the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge on Wednesday, July 25 at noon at Boudreaux's, 2647 Government Street, in Baton Rouge. He'll give an update of what to expect for the upcoming football season.

Now seven years into his reign as head coach at LSU, Miles has guided the Tiger football program to its most successful stretch - both on and off the field - in the history of the sport at the school. With 75 victories, two SEC titles and two appearances in the BCS National Championship Game, LSU's success since the start of the 2005 season is unmatched in college football. In the classroom, LSU ranks second in the SEC to only Vanderbilt in the most recent release of graduation rates as 152 Tigers have earned their degree under Miles' watch. On the field, LSU's 75 victories over the past seven years are the most by a team in the nation's toughest conference - the SEC - during that span.

While LSU came up a game short of claiming its second BCS title under Miles in 2011, it was still a record-setting season for Miles and the Tigers. LSU went 13-0 during the regular season for the first time in school history, beat a school-record eight Top 25 teams, registered 12 of its 13 wins by double-figures and spent 11 straight weeks as the nation's No. 1 ranked team. Throw in five first-team All-Americans, two national award winners, and a Heisman Trophy finalist and the 2011 regular season ranked as the most successful in school history.

Miles' accomplishments haven't come without hard work and a steadfast approach that expects excellence and dedication from his players, coaching staff and all of those who contribute to the success of LSU football. The Miles Method - a system that puts players in position to have success in the classroom, contribute and give back to the community, and compete for championships - is the foundation for which his program is built.

The results in his seven years with the program have been staggering as 152 players have graduated, 120 have earned SEC Academic Honor Roll distinction and countless hours have been spent in the community. Since the 2007 season, LSU has seen 87 of its 109 seniors get their degrees, including 21 of 25 seniors from the 2007 national championship team, 18 of 19 from the 2008 squad, 20 of 24 from the 2009 team, 12 of 16 from 2010 and 16 of 25 from last year's club. Twelve players during that stretch who haven't completed their requirements for graduation are currently playing in the NFL.

On the field, the Tigers have won more games (75) than any other program in the SEC, finished in the nation's top 10 five times and delivered a league-best 42 NFL Draft picks, including 10 first round selections. LSU's also produced 16 first team All-Americans and had players win 11 national awards. In 2007, senior defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey became the most decorated defender in school history by winning four national awards, while Patrick Peterson followed that in 2010 by claiming two national awards - the Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back and the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defender.

In 2011, LSU had a Heisman Trophy finalist in Tyrann Mathieu, who also claimed the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defender. For the second straight year, LSU had a player win the Jim Thorpe Award as Morris Claiborne won the award which goes to the nation's top defensive back. 

Under Miles, the Tigers have posted at least 11 victories in a season five times and finished ranked among the top five in the nation three-straight years (2005, '06, and'07), a first at LSU. Miles also became the only coach in LSU history to beat Auburn, Florida and Alabama in same season - and he's done it now three times. He's the only first-year coach in SEC history to lead a team to the league's title game, and he's registered 13 wins over coaches who have won national titles.

Now seven years into the Miles tenure, the foundation for LSU football is stronger than ever. After 75 wins, including 31 over ranked opponents, and with six-straight recruiting classes rated among the top 10 in the nation, including the nation's No. 1 group in 2009, Miles and the Tigers continue to solidify their standing as one of the premier programs in college football, setting a standard that has the rest of the nation chasing.