The Arizona Wildcats have decided to enter college basketball’s coaching carousel. In news first reported by Jeff Goodman of Stadium and then confirmed elsewhere, the program has opted to part ways with longtime head coach Sean Miller on the heels of a 17-9 campaign that saw the team miss out on the NCAA Tournament due to a self-imposed ban.
BREAKING: Arizona has parted ways with Sean Miller, sources told @Stadium. Spent 12 years at UA, had one year left on contract.
Miller was charged with head coach responsibility for failure to promote atmosphere of compliance. Administration stuck by Miller for 4 years.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 7, 2021
Sean Miller is out at Arizona, sources told ESPN.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 7, 2021
Arizona has parted ways with Sean Miller, a source has confirmed. End of an era in Tucson.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 7, 2021
Miller went to Tucson after five years at Xavier and gave the Wildcats some stability following the Lute Olsen era. The team went 302-109 during Miller’s 12 years in charge with a 150-68 conference record. Arizona won the Pac-12 regular season title under Miller five times and won the conference tournament another three.
Prior to the 2018-19 season, Arizona made the NCAA Tournament seven out of eight years with Miller at the helm and one NIT. The team missed out that season and did not make it in 2020-21 due to the FBI’s investigation into a college basketball bribery scandal that prominently featured Miller — he was recorded on a wiretap discussing a payment of $100,000 that would ensure that then five-star recruit Deandre Ayton would commit to the Wildcats. It is unclear if his getting wrapped up into an investigation of this magnitude is what led to the university moving on from Miller or if it is due to the team’s performance.
According to reports, a number of names have been kicked around in relation to this job, with Jeff Borzello of ESPN reporting that Gonzaga associate head coach Tommy Lloyd’s name “buzzing” in recent days.
