Miles aims to instill ‘paradigm shift’ for San Jose State hoops
Since the beginning of the 198788 season, the San Jose State men’s basketball team has mustered all of two winning seasons: 1512 in 199394 and 1716 in 201011. In nine of the past 10 seasons, the Spartans have not reached a doubledigit victory total.
So after head coach Tim Miles said in his introductory Zoom news conference Wednesday afternoon, “I feel like just letting out a holler. I’m so excited,” the natural question became: Does Miles realize how difficult his job will be? He clearly does.
“We need a paradigm shift — locally, regionally — in men’s basketball,” Miles said. “The way people look at us is gonna change, and it’s gonna start with us, and the way we do business, the way we connect with people and the way our guys play.”
Miles, whose two most recent headcoaching jobs were at Colorado State (200712) and Nebraska (201219), began his headcoaching career at Mayville (N.D.) State, an NAIA school, in the mid1990s.
The Comets were a combined 444 in the two seasons before Miles took the job. They went 3522 in his three seasons.
He believes that experience can help him with the Spartans.
“That was in the Midwest. That was a smaller college — but the human behavior’s the same,” said Miles, 54. “The disappointment and disillusionment of losing and how to talk to those young guys and flip that mentality ... is a good start.”
Miles said he spoke with head football coach Brent Brennan about what it takes to revive a San Jose State program. Brennan led the Spartans, who hadn’t had a winning record since 2012, to the Mountain West Conference title in 2020.
“Our expectations are high,” Miles said. “Our guys are going to feel uncomfortable . ... We don’t have to be difficult (on) the guys, but we have to challenge our guys.
“And if guys don’t want a challenge, this is going to be the wrong spot for them.”