In the wake of men’s basketball head coach Rodney Terry’s exit, Texas has hired former Xavier head coach Sean Miller in his stead.
Xavier put an end to Texas’ season in their March Madness First Four matchup on March 19, ending 86–80 after a devastating comeback. The following Friday, Xavier lost 86–73 to No. 6 Illinois in the Round of 32. Less than a week after the Texas loss, Terry’s departure was announced.
Reports had been circulating of Miller’s arrival to Texas since early Sunday, starting with a tweet by Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman; however, the information hadn’t been publicly released by the University yet. On Monday evening, it became official.
“Sean Miller is a proven winner who will bring excellence to our men’s basketball program,” UT’s interim President Jim Davis said. “Coach Miller has the experience, the leadership and the expertise to build a championship-level program with players of the highest caliber on and off the court.”
Miller led Arizona and Xavier to 13 March Madness appearances within his 20-year career, with an on-court win record of 71%. Starting his tenure as a head coach at Xavier in 2004, Miller led the Musketeers to two Sweet 16 trips and one to the Elite Eight before moving to coach at Arizona in 2009.
In his 12 years at Arizona, the Wildcats made seven NCAA Tournament runs, five to the Sweet Sixteen and three to the Elite Eight. In 2022, Miller returned to Xavier. Since then, the Musketeers have made two NCAA Tournament appearances within his three last years.
“I’m so excited about the future of our men’s basketball program and thrilled to add another phenomenal coach to our Longhorn Family,” athletics director Chris Del Conte said. “When we were considering our next head coach, Sean Miller was a name that immediately came up as a perfect fit for us. He certainly checks all the boxes, is exactly what we’re looking for in every facet as a leader, and in talking with him, he has a great plan and vision for our program.”
Miller also ranks just second to Arkansas head coach John Calipari in NBA players produced throughout the last 20 seasons. In his career, Miller has developed or signed 27 players who went on to play in the sport’s highest league.
“Coach Miller has long been known as an exceptional program builder and tremendous developer of players with a highly-respected basketball coaching mind,” Del Conte said. “Coach Miller’s energy is infectious, he is driven to succeed, and he is a truly special person. … The future is bright, and I can’t wait to get him here with our elite group of head coaches.”
