NC State Basketball: Five potential replacements for Mark Gottfried
1. Archie Miller
This makes too much sense.
Archie Miller is an alum of NC State, he played point guard on the team from 1998 to 2002, and he was an assistant on the team from 2004 to 2006. He is one of the hottest mid-major coaches in the nation as Miller has helped Dayton reach the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four years and has molded the Flyers into the flagship program of the Atlantic 10.
No one expected Dayton to make an Elite Eight run in 2013-14, but they did. They then made the Big Dance the two following years before losing in the second and first round respectively.
Now, for the record, Miller has already made comments regarding the now open position in Raleigh.
"“I went to N.C. State. Played there, had a great experience,” Miller said. “So many of those people have helped me along the way. As everyone else, you get into real life. And as you get into real life, you move along your own path. And that’s sort of where I’m at now.”"
What else is Miller supposed to say in this case? What happens after the season if Dayton doesn’t make another long run? Does Miller want to join his brother Sean in the Power 5 Conferences? What if NC State throws the bank at him?
These are all legitimate questions because remember he played AND coached at the school before. He knows the ins and outs of the area and that will only help the Wolfpack in terms of recruiting.
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Again, though, the problem lies with the stability of the program. Are they going to commit long term to Miller? And can he trust the program to not lay him off when times get a bit rough? That’s the number one question for not only Miller, but Tom Crean and a majority of other candidates.