Indiana Basketball Names Archie Miller Head Coach

On Saturday afternoon, Indiana announced that it had hired its next head coach in former Dayton head coach Archie Miller.

While speculation had been looming for weeks that the Hoosiers would be interesting in hiring Miller, it was still a bit of a surprise to see it occur on Saturday. Many national names had been rumored for the job, so to see the program move in on a relatively straightforward hire was a bit unexpected.

Under Miller, Dayton turned into one of college basketball’s most successful and consistent programs. In his six seasons, Dayton went 139–63 (.688) overall and 68–34 (.667) in Atlantic 10 play. His teams also won two straight league titles and went to four straight NCAA Tournaments, including the Elite Eight in 2014.

Indiana Athletic Director Fred Glass spoke about Miller’s addition over the weekend.

“While there was great interest in this position, Archie Miller was on my short list from the very beginning,” said Glass. “The more I learned about him, the more convinced I became that he is the coach we need to meet our high expectations for many years to come.”

Miller also talked about the opportunity.

“I am honored to be the head coach at Indiana University,” said Miller. “IU is one of the greatest basketball programs and academic institutions in the country and I cannot wait to get started. With peerless fan support, outstanding facilities and tradition, a beautiful campus, and located in one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country, IU is a dream destination for me and my family.”

Of course, Miller’s first challenge on the job will be securing his roster, which features two potential NBA Draft early entrants in James Blackmon and Thomas Bryant. Additionally, he will look to hold together a 2017 recruiting class in flux.

All told, it should be an interesting next few weeks in Bloomington and a major opportunity for Miller, as he enters the Big Ten.