Sean Miller returning to Xavier, will replace Travis Steele as next head coach
Sean Miller is headed back to Cincinnati.
Miller is set to become the next head coach at Xavier, the school announced on Saturday afternoon.
— Xavier Basketball (@XavierMBB) March 19, 2022
"Xavier is thrilled to welcome Sean Miller and his family back to Victory Parkway," athletic director Greg Christopher said in a statement. "Sean is an elite college basketball coach and a proven winner who understands the expectations, traditions and values of Xavier and the Big East conference. He will bring a high level of energy and excitement to our program and he will do it the right way."
Miller will replace Travis Steele, who the school parted with earlier this week after four seasons. Steele had served as an assistant under both Miller and Chris Mack before being promoted to the head job at Xavier.
Miller got his coaching start at Xavier, and compiled a 120-47 record over five seasons from 2004-09. He was first an assistant with the Musketeers in 2001, and then won three straight A-10 regular season titles and reached the NCAA tournament in four of his five seasons their as a head coach.
Miller then spent the next 12 seasons at Arizona, where he went 302-109 and won five Pac-12 regular season titles and made seven NCAA tournament appearances.
"Xavier and the Big East conference both hold special places in my heart,” Miller said in a statement. “I enjoyed my experience competing at the highest level in the Big East as a player and have always dreamed of being a head coach in the best basketball league in the country. Xavier has always done things the right way.
"This is an incredible opportunity for us to build on Xavier's successful tradition and take the program to new heights. I will have more to say at my introductory press conference about what I've been through the last few years to get to this point and my plan going forward."
Miller could face NCAA punishment
Miller was fired last year after he was implicated in the massive federal investigation into college basketball and the NCAA hit Arizona with multiple violations.
One of Miller’s former assistants there, Book Richardson, pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge in 2019. Richardson was accused of accepting $20,000 to send Arizona players to sign with aspiring sports agent Christian Dawkins.
During Dawkins’ trial, investigators played a phone call between Richardson and Dawkins in which Richardson said that Miller was paying $10,000 a month to Deandre Ayton — who went No. 1 overall to the Phoenix Suns after one season at Arizona.
Miller has denied the allegations against him. He is still subject to punishment from the NCAA. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, who was also connected with the investigation for similar allegations, was given a two-game suspension. North Carolina State head coach Mark Gottfried received a one-year show-cause penalty.
The Musketeers have missed the NCAA tournament the past four seasons. They earned a No. 2 seed in the NIT tournament this spring, and are set to take on Florida in the second round on Sunday after an opening-round win over Cleveland State.
