Sean Miller chooses Xavier over South Carolina, reports say
Former Arizona coach Sean Miller has chosen Xavier over South Carolina, according to multiple national reports.
Both national college basketball reporters Jeff Goodman and Matt Norlander reported Saturday evening that Miller chose the Musketeers over an offer from the Gamecocks, with Norlander tweeting Miller “had a standing offer from South Carolina but turned it down.” Norlander said Miller took most of Saturday to weigh both offers, noting that South Carolina “came aggressively.”
Goodman reported Miller’s deal with Xavier is for six years. Miller coached for Xavier as an assistant and then as a head coach from 2004-09 before spending 11 years in Arizona. His familiarity with Xavier, the region and the Big East were all cited as factors in Miller’s decision.
What’s next for South Carolina search?
Now, USC is back to the drawing board in looking for a replacement for Frank Martin.
USC fired the 10-year coach Martin the day after Selection Sunday, when the Gamecocks (18-13, 9-9 SEC) learned they did not receive a bid to either the NCAA tournament or the NIT. Hired in 2012, Martin, 55, compiled a 171-147 (79-99 SEC) career record with the Gamecocks. The win total is the third most in program history, and his tenure was highlighted by the program’s only Final Four in 2017.
But the Gamecocks failed to make the NCAA tournament after that 2017 run, and athletic director Ray Tanner cited the lack of postseason appearances in the school’s official release on the matter.
With Miller reportedly out of the picture, the Gamecocks are still looking at Chattanooga’s Lamont Paris, former Gamecock and current Wake Forest assistant BJ McKie and Furman head coach Bob Richey. The Gamecocks have also been linked to Cleveland State’s Kevin Gates, but multiple reports have linked him to Missouri’s head coach opening.
Murray State’s Matt McMahon could be in the mix now that the Racers are out of the NCAA tournament.
More on Miller
In 17 years as a head coach between Xavier and Arizona, Miller led his teams to 11 NCAA tournament appearances, reaching the Elite Eight four times and the Sweet 16 seven times. He’s gone 20-11 in NCAA tournament games, and he holds an all-time 422-156 (.730) record with a 302-109 (.735) record in 11 seasons at Arizona.
However, the Wildcats fired Miller last April after the NCAA charged the school with five Level I violations. Arizona was hit with two alleged instances of academic misconduct, while Miller was charged for not demonstrating “that he promoted an atmosphere for compliance and monitored his staff.”
Those violations stem from a 2017 FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball. As a result of that investigation, former Arizona assistant coach Emanuel Richardson pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery after being accused of accepting $20,000 to steer Arizona players to aspiring sports agent Christian Dawkins.
During that trial, prosecutors played a wiretapped phone call between Richardson and Dawkins in which Richardson alleged that Miller had promised to pay former Wildcat Deandre Ayton $10,000 a month. Miller denied those allegations.
“I have never knowingly violated NCAA rules while serving as head coach of this great program,” Miller said at the time. “I have never paid a recruit or prospect or their family or a representative to come to Arizona. I never have and I never will.”
A former starting point guard for Pittsburgh from 1987-1992, Miller started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin and made stops at Miami (Ohio), his alma mater and North Carolina State before settling in as Xavier’s assistant coach from 2000-04 and its head coach from 2004-09.
This story was originally published March 19, 2022 at 5:02 PM.
