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Could Dayton’s Archie Miller be the Answer for the Indiana Hoosiers?

By Hashim R. Hathaway

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Dayton Flyers Head Coach Archie Miller is on the verge of clinching a piece of the Atlantic-10 regular season title, making him a hot prospect in the coaching world. Could he be the solution to the current woes at Indiana?

Tom Crean is still the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers.

For now.

In the wake of last night’s 77-63 loss to Iowa, the Hoosiers are in danger of having their NCAA Tournament bubble burst, and Crean looks to have lost the support of a demanding fanbase, despite the fact that Indiana can still ensure a tournament berth Saturday against Michigan State.

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Meanwhile, one state over in Ohio, University of Dayton head coach Archie Miller couldn’t be doing better. Like Crean, Miller is stuck with a short staff, so to speak, with no current starter taller than 6-6. But while Crean is floundering, Miller is flourishing and on the cusp of guaranteeing at least a share of the A-10 title with a Saturday win against La Salle.

In four seasons with the Flyers, Miller is 39-26 in the A-10 and an impressive 86-44 overall, including a surprise Elite Eight birth in last season’s NCAA Tournament (in his first appearance). As he looks toward his first conference championship and another tournament run, Miller is widely considered to be the hottest coaching prospect in the country, something not lost on analysts like ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb:

Regardless as to how the season ends for the Flyers, offers to Miller will come both fast and furious. Of all the schools that should be paying attention to the 36-year-old coach, Indiana has to be pretty high up on that list.

While no decision has been made on Crean’s future by the people that matter (a.k.a. Athletic Director Fred Glass) the pressure for a decision is at a fever pitch, and judging by the general apathy from students and a fanbase still longing for the salad days of the Bob Knight era, bringing Crean back for an eighth season seems like a fool’s errand at best.

However, before any decision can be made, the elephant in the room must be addressed: Crean’s rather enormous buyout, which currently stands at $12 million until July 1. After that, it falls to $7.5 million. The Indianapolis Star has a concise breakdown of Crean’s contract and what it would take for the Hoosiers to move on.

While many in Hoosier Nation would prefer former Butler and current Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, it’s unlikely that Stevens would make the jump back to the college level, and at least to date, there’s been nothing outside of speculation that places Stevens into cream and crimson.

If a decision has to be made on Crean at the close of this season, Miller has to be the target Indiana looks at. Last season for the Flyers caused everyone to take notice, but this season is nothing short of a resume builder for Miller, and if Indiana fires Crean but doesn’t pursue someone as exciting as Miller, Hoosier Nation could once again be left holding the bag.

Again.

Next: NCAA Tournament: Major Implications From Tuesday's Games

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