The University of Kansas has dismissed the athletic director responsible for hiring former head coach Les Miles.
Jeff Long confirmed he was relieved of his duties late Tuesday night, in the wake of the scandal that cost Miles his job.
Long denied knowledge of Miles' past alleged misconduct, including "unwanted touching" and sexual harassment, and it appeared he might survive with his job in tact.
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But a tense exchange with reporters on Tuesday about his history of questionable hires was met with negative feedback from fans and alum on local radio and social media, potentially sealing his fate, according to Ben Kercheval and Dennis Todd of CBS Sports.
Long said he was disappointed but understood why the university would look to make a change.
"I'm pretty upset," he said, "but I know how the world works. I'm just sick because I tried to do everything the right way with high ethics and morals and doing the right thing for young people. That's the only thing that disappoints me."
Long's relationship with Miles apparently stretches back decades, and he reportedly tried to hire Miles in 2012, when he was athletic director at Arkansas. Miles declined, reportedly leveraging the offer into an extension with LSU.
Miles "mutually parted ways" with Kansas on Monday, after reports surfaced last week that he had been disciplined internally by LSU officials in 2013 for behaving inappropriately toward young women he met through the powerhouse football program. He was put on administrative leave pending an investigation.
The coach denied any wrongdoing, and reportedly received a sweet buyout of $2M despite the troubling circumstances surrounding his exit.
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