Indiana chooses Miller to be next head coach
Fred Glass wanted to hire a proven winner for Indiana’s next coach. The athletic director didn’t have to wait long — or travel far to find what he was looking for.
On Saturday, less than 24 hours after UCLA coach Steve Alford pulled his name out of the sweepstakes, Glass announced he had hired Archie Miller from Dayton. Miller replaces Tom Crean, who was fired March 16 after missing the NCAA Tournament five times in nine seasons.
“Archie Miller was on my short list from the very beginning,” Glass said in a statement. “The more I learned about him, the more convinced I became that he is the coach we need to meet our high expectations for many years to come.”
Miller will be introduced at a Monday afternoon news conference.
The 38-year-old Miller comes from a basketball family and put together a solid track record in six seasons with the Flyers — earning a school-record four straight NCAA Tournament bids, winning 24 games in each of those seasons and claiming the last two Atlantic 10 regular-season titles.
Miller’s older brother, Sean, coaches at perennial powerhouse Arizona, and the younger Miller is considered one of the brightest young coaches in America.
Miller’s father, John, coached in high school.
“IU is one of the greatest basketball programs and academic institutions in the country and I cannot wait to get started,” Miller said. “With peerless fan support, outstanding facilities and tradition, a beautiful campus, and located in one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country, IU is a dream destination for me and my family.”
Miller is 139-63 in his career.
NCAA DIVISION II
Northwest Missouri State 71, Fairmont State 61: Justin Pitts scored 23 points to help the Bearcats (35-1) beat the Falcons (34-3) in the championship game in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Northwest Missouri State won its first men’s basketball national championship and became the first D-II school to win the title in football and basketball in the same academic year.