In an ironic twist, Houston is apparently going after LSU’s former coach.

Les Miles and the Cougars have a mutual interest, Houston Board of Regents Chairman Tilman Fertitta told Cougars beat writer Joseph Duarte on Wednesday.

The Tigers had their sights set on former Houston coach Tom Herman last week  before their talks fizzled. LSU promoted interim coach Ed Orgeron to the full-time job, and Texas hired Herman.

Miles, who was ousted Sept. 25, has been adamant about his return to coaching ever since and has reportedly been researching coordinator candidates for his next stop. The 63-year-old coach won about 77 percent of his games during more than 11 years in Baton Rouge.

Miles’ name has been thrown around several coaching searches, mostly notably at Purdue and Baylor. Now Houston has joined the fray for Miles, even while considering promoting either offensive coordinator Major Applewhite or defensive coordinator Todd Orlando.

It would be a curious stylistic fit — the Cougars are well known for their spread offense, while Miles’ commitment to power football is part of the reason he was fired at LSU. But Miles had massive success recruiting the Houston area while in Baton Rouge.