NCAA Basketball: Top 10 impact head coaching hires from 2009 offseason

4. Sean Miller (Arizona)

Though Lute Olson hadn’t coached since 2007, Arizona was technically replacing him, as a pair of interim coaches had taken over the program as Olson had contemplated his future. Replacing a living legend like Olson was no easy task, and the next head coach had a lot of pressure. Heck, this Arizona squad was inches from the Final Four just four years earlier; the next coach would need to do that and more.

Sean Miller was certainly one of the hot names in the coaching carousel that season. He had played guard at Pittsburgh before beginning his coaching career on staff at Wisconsin. He worked under Herb Sendek at Miami OH and NC State before heading to Xavier, becoming head coach after three years as an assistant. In five years, he took Xavier to an Elite Eight and a host of other success, more than deserving a bit shot at a school like Arizona.

The Wildcats played great ball under Miller’s leadership, making three Elite Eights and two Sweet Sixteens during his twelve seasons. The success was great, but it petered out at the end, in addition to an FBI investigation into the program. Miller was relieved this past offseason, but certainly had a solid impact on the Arizona program, even if he couldn’t make a Final Four.