Heartbreak and happiness worked together to give LSU head coach Les Miles a day he will never forget.
When the timer reached zero and then-No. 24 LSU upset then-No. 3 Ole Miss, emotions ran high throughout the stadium and even higher in the locker room. Less than 24 hours before the Tigers (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) took on the Rebels (7-1, 4-1 SEC), Miles’ mother, Martha Miles, passed away in a Baton Rouge-area assisted-living facility at 91 years old.
LSU players were told of Martha’s passing during a late-night meeting in the team hotel on Friday. The situation was not made public until former NBA star Karl Malone, whose son K.J. is a freshman offensive lineman for the Tigers, sent out a tweet with his condolences.
Sophomore defensive back Tre’Davious White said just minutes after Les was informed of her death on Friday night, he was back with the team, preparing them for the showdown with Ole Miss.

“After he heard about his mom passing, 30 minutes later, he’s back with us, meeting with us last night,” White said. “That just shows what kind of man he is and the kind of character he has. He’s a man, and he does what a man should do. He takes care of his responsibilities.”
When the players made it back into the locker room after the upset win, they presented Les with the game ball out of respect of his commitment to the team and to honor his mother’s death.
“After the game, I can’t tell you the number of young men that threw arms around me to tell me that they loved me,” Les said. “It was touching as anything I’ve had happen. They gave me the game ball, which I only accept on behalf of a great team.”
The news hit some players hard and motivated them to win the game for Les. He said he was worried the emotion would hinder the physicality in a violent game against an SEC opponent, and he spent time thinking about how to encourage the team to take every opportunity and advantage to win.
Freshman running back Leonard Fournette, who had 113 yards on 23 carries, said Martha’s death made him think about his family and what he would do if he lost his mother in a similar situation.
“We kind of had a heart‐to‐heart because of what he said. We dedicated this game to Ms. Martha, to coach, to ourselves and to our families,” Fournette said. “It was tough seeing him like that. That is a real man.”
After the game, Les appeared choked up and misty eyed when talking to reporters.
“I’d like to thank the people who have found it in their time to wish me well and send their condolences for my mom,” Les said. “I had a rough night last night.”
In 2000, Les lost his father, Hope “Bubba” Miles. Bubba worked as a broker in the long-haul trucking business, which Les worked in alongside Bubba before he began his coaching career at Michigan in 1980. Les lost his sister Ann Hope Browne in 2011 after a car crash while she was on a sales call in Addis, Louisiana.
Before he took questions in his post-game press conference, Les grasped the game ball tightly and looked up toward the ceiling, sharing an intimate moment with his recently deceased mother.
“Martha Miles, this is a great night, considering,” Les said. “I miss you, Ma.”