Miller officially hired as Memphis assistant
The University of Memphis officially announced Saturday the addition of former NBA player Mike Miller as a men's basketball assistant coach on Penny Hardaway's staff.
Miller's hiring, viewed as a formality over the past week, will allow him to begin visiting with players on the recruiting trail, where his reputation could pay dividends right away.
Hardaway reportedly has inhome visits lined up with four of the nation's top 10 2019 recruits over the next week because of Miller's preexisting relationships with forward Matthew Hurt of Minnesota (No. 4), Birmingham, Ala., forward Trendon Watford (No. 9), and New Jersey teammates Bryan Antoine (No. 6) and Scottie Lewis (No. 7)
Though Miller, 38, is a first-time college coach, he just concluded a 17-season career in the NBA, including seven with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Mitchell, S.D., native also sponsored M33M, a Memphis-area grassroots basketball program, for the past 13 years.
Miller and his family chose to settle in the Memphis area over the last year while he decided what to pursue during his post-playing career.
He also fielded serious coaching interest this offseason from Florida, where he starred in college, and TCU, where his older brother is an assistant coach.
The terms of Miller's contract at Memphis were not disclosed by the university.
Miller ended his affiliation with M33M in recent days, and the Adidasbacked organization changed its name to Hoop City Basketball Club.
Miller joins Tony Madlock, one of Hardaway's former teammates, on the Tigers' assistant coaching staff.
Former Tennessee state assistant Rodney Hamilton has been hired as the team's director of basketball operations, and former Memphis star Dwight Boyd will serve as the program's director of player personnel.
Miller attended the football team's Friday Night Stripes game at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium along with the rest of the men's basketball staff, several current players, 2018 signees Alex Lomax and Tyler Harris and 2018 junior college recruit Isaiah Maurice.
Hardaway still has one vacant spot on his assistant coaching staff that he would like to fill with a former head coach.
Larry Brown, his initial choice, was only offered a full-time consultant position by Memphis earlier this week.
Hardaway said last week he hopes to have a full staff in place before the start of college basketball's first evaluation period, which begins Friday.