Now that LSU has finished its season by beating Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl, attention will turn to Tigers coach Les Miles and whether he is interested in returning to his alma mater Michigan.  Jim Harbaugh's move to the San Francisco 49ers puts even more attention on Miles, who is now the highest-profile coach with Michigan ties.  He deflected questions about the possibility of a return to Ann Arbor after Friday night's win.  "I don't want to talk about me," Miles said. "This is really about LSU and really not about coaches' issues. Coaches issues are non-existent right now. I have not been contacted."  Asked if he would be staying in Baton Rouge, he paused and said the following: "It's a wonderful place. I love it here."  Whether he will have conversations with the Wolverines is unclear. Miles seems to have left open the door by not emphatically stating he will stay at LSU.  LSU athletics director Joe Alleva issued a statement Sunday saying he, too, had not been contacted by Michigan.  "I have not been contacted by anyone from the University of Michigan about Les Miles," Alleva said. "Les Miles is LSU's head coach and we are going to do everything we can to keep it that way. He has had great success here and we plan to keep enjoying that success under his leadership."  It's possible Miles is telling another story to his players, however. After the Cotton Bowl, he reportedly assured his team that he would be their coach in 2011.  Comments by LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson seemed to back that up.  "We trust Les Miles and we trust his word," Jefferson said. "His word was he's not going anywhere and he'll be our coach next year."  Whether he goes or stays, it shouldn't take long to figure out where Miles will be next fall.  -- Erick SmithFollow Erick on Twitter at @erick_smith  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
Michigan vacancy puts spotlight on LSU coach Les Miles  - Campus Rivalry: College Football & Basketball News, Recruiting, Game Picks, and More - USATODAY.com