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Kansas coach Les Miles announces he tested positive for COVID-19

Kansas coach Les Miles has COVID-19.

The team announced that Miles had tested positive on Thursday. He’s the fourth head coach at the top level of college football to publicly say he contracted the virus since the football season began.

“Today I was notified that I have tested positive for COVID-19,” Miles said in a statement. “I am beginning the isolation process at my home and will continue to fulfill my head coach responsibilities remotely.

“Although I will not physically be able to attend practice for the time being, I will be using the technology available for remote working to stay connected during staff meetings, meetings with players, etc.”

“Thank you for your prayers and support in advance. I look forward to beating this virus and returning back to be with my team in person very soon.”

Kansas said that Miles, 66, was the only coach on the staff who had tested positive and that it believed he could be able to continue to work remotely while in isolation. He attended his weekly radio show at a restaurant on Wednesday and told listeners that he had a cold.

Kansas is off this week before playing at West Virginia next Saturday. It’s currently unclear if Miles will be able to travel and coach the game, though it seems unlikely. Athletic director Jeff Long said in the school’s statement that “as long as Coach Miles does not develop symptoms or have a fever,” the school anticipated that Miles could coach next week.

The KU football team previously had a coronavirus outbreak over the summer. The program shut down workouts in July after 12 players had tested positive for the virus. Every member of the KU football team quarantined during the time workouts were shut down.

Miles’ announcement that he has the virus comes days after Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin said he tested positive for COVID-19. Sumlin was the third known coach to say he had COVID since Labor Day weekend after Arkansas State’s Blake Anderson and Florida State’s Mike Norvell.

Toledo’s Jason Candle said he had the virus in July and UCLA coach Chip Kelly revealed this week during Pac-12 media day that he and his wife had the virus in the spring.

“I had one day where I felt like I had a cold,” Kelly said Wednesday. “My wife was a little longer. It’s something we all have to take very seriously. One thing I learned during this process is you can get it any time.”

Kansas is currently 0-3 after losing to Coastal Carolina, Baylor and Oklahoma State to start the season.

Kansas head coach Les Miles watches from the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Baylor Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas head coach Les Miles has tested positive for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

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