The newest name in Tucson
April 6, 2009
The big news in Tucson, via YahooSports, is that Sean Miller, formerly of Xavier University, has been named the Arizona Wildcats head basketball coach. The importance of this move has yet to be fully realized, obviously, since Miller has done nothing beyond signing a contract, but at this point I’m cautiously optimistic. Miller has done yeoman’s work at Xavier, captaining them to a 120-47 record in five years, including two Elite Eight appearances and a Sweet 16 appearance this year. His name has been mentioned for head coaching vacancies across the country in recent years, and for good reason — Xavier, admittedly an established contender under Miller’s predecessors Skip Prosser and Thad Matta, has flourished during Miller’s tenure.
I don’t know much about this guy, so I will keep the uninformed commentary to a minimum, but there is one weird bit of info I’d like to point out. Namely, I find Miller’s extensive connections with current Arizona State coach Herb Sendek intriguing. Miller worked under Sendek when Sendek was the head coach at both Miami (OH) and North Carolina State, which would suggest he knows the man’s coaching style fairly well. I wonder if that didn’t play into U of A athletic director Jim Livengood’s decision, given the Wildcats’ current five game losing streak at the hands (or claws) of our rivals up north. Anyways, I’ll be doing research, and hopefully will keep the updates coming.
