NCAA Basketball: Top 10 impact head coaching hires from the year 2004
By Joey Loose
3. Sean Miller (Xavier)
Unlike with some of these programs, there were no issues at Xavier by 2004. In fact, the program was coming off a season so great, an Elite Eight trip, that coach Thad Matta had been pulled away to Ohio State. Still, it was apparent that they’d need to hire the right coach to continue the program’s momentum; they really nailed the hire.
Sean Miller was a rising name in the coaching ranks. He had yet to have any head coaching experience but had worked with some pretty talented coaches already throughout the years. He served under coaches like Herb Sendek and Ralph Willard, spending time at Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, and NC State before joining the Xavier staff in 2001. Three years under Matta had been great for the Musketeers but it was Miller’s turn to run the show.
The next five years saw Miller work brilliantly at Xavier, making four NCAA Tournaments and winning three A-10 titles. The 2008 team got back to the Elite Eight while the following year the Musketeers made the Sweet Sixteen. He built and prolonged the sustained success and put this Xavier program in marvelous shape for the future. Miller was off to Arizona where he’d certainly make his mark with the Wildcats, but his five years with Xavier were undeniably successful.