Miller holds first news conference of season
University of Arizona men’s head basketball coach Sean Miller insists he is focused on the upcoming season at his first news conference since his longtime assistant was arrested for allegedly taking bribes as part of a widespread federal investigation.
Miller opened Thursday’s briefing by reading a statement he released earlier this week, which said he was “devastated” to learn of the allegations made against assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson and that he fully supports the university’s investigation.
“I’m focused on our season right now. For us, we have a lot at stake as a basketball team. We have experience. We have the size...we have a lot of exciting newcomers,” Miller said.
But when Miller, flanked by players Allonzo Trier and Dusan Ristic, was asked how he was focusing on basketball with the federal allegations swirling around his longtime assistant, he declined to elaborate.
“I just answered it when he asked me the same question,” he said, referring to a reporter’s earlier question on focus.
Earlier in the day, UA athletic officials declared that Miller would respond only to basketball-related questions. Miller reiterated this at the start of the briefing, saying he was more than happy to answer any questions “about our team and season.”
While meeting with reporters briefly after Thursday’s news conference, Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke threw firm support behind Miller.
“Sean always runs a program of high integrity and honesty and we’re always supportive of that,” Heeke said.
When asked if that statement suggested he found Miller not guilty of wrongdoing during any preliminary investigation within the school, Heeke repeated those words.
It didn’t take long for fans on Twitter to weigh in on Miller’s unwillingness to talk about the scandal. One fan in particular asked: “Will carrying all that cash make it difficult for your players to rebound?”
The user was referring to allegations made in federal court that Richardson accepted $20,000 in cash bribes in exchange for agreeing to pressure players to retain a particular management company when those players turned pro and needed representation. The federal complaint also alleges that some of the bribe money appears to have gone to at least one prospective athlete to recruit him to play for the program.
Richardson’s arrest was part of a widespread FBI investigation that began in 2015 into the criminal influence of money on NCAA coaches and student athletes. Three other assistant coaches at other schools also were arrested last week as part of the fraud and bribery investigation: Auburn’s Chuck Person, USC’s Tony Bland and Oklahoma State’s Lamont Evans.
The UA has started disciplinary proceedings against Richardson, who had been recruiting players during Miller’s entire era at UA.
Miller said during Thursday’s news conference that recruiting is the “lifeblood” of college basketball. When asked whether he would be hiring another assistant coach this season, he said, “We’re just not there yet. Right now, we’re kind of in-the-moment.”
Later in the news conference, a question again returned to what was happening off the court, and what Miller wanted to say to Wildcats fans who have concerns about the program: “We’re just going to work hard to have the best team we can, to do things the right way — like I mentioned in my statement — and to make everybody proud,” the 48-year-old coach said.
“We’re going to continue to do the best we can, like we have, really, through the 8 years I’ve been here.”
The UA has hired five attorneys from two law firms, one firm to conduct an independent investigation of the FBI’s allegations against Richardson and another to deal with any potential issues that crop up with the NCAA.