Sean Miller is returning to Xavier to be his men’s basketball coach again, sources confirmed to CBS Sports on Saturday. The two sides quickly got into a fight after Travis Steele was fired on Tuesday, sources said. Miller was Xavier’s top choice from the start, but school officials had to work hard inside and with the NCAA to ensure that Miller could be safely hired due to his pending IARP case dating back to his time with Arizona. (Miller was fired from Arizona in April 2021.)
An official recruitment announcement is expected soon.
As Xavier’s courtship played out in recent days, South Carolina also actively pursued Miller. Gamecocks athletic director Ray Tanner was trying to get Miller to sign by Saturday as his efforts had been overwhelming over the past 48 hours, sources said.
After all, Xavier has always been Miller’s top choice. Sources said that Miller’s deep acquaintance with Xavier and strangers from South Carolina, as well as Xavier’s participation in the conference, played a big role. When Miller coached Xavier, it was Atlantic 10. Now it’s the Big East, and Miller is attracted to work in this league.
While it’s a big day for Xavier, the reality is that Miller could still get a sanction from the NCAA. He was charged with violating the first level of control over the coaching staff during his time in Arizona, a violation related to former assistant Book Richardson, who was accused of bribery and fraud in the notorious FBI college basketball scandal. The University of Arizona has received nine school misconduct charges from the NCAA, five of which are Level I, although only one of them is directly related to Miller.
Industry sources previously told CBS Sports that a ruling on the case from the NCAA and IARP is expected in the fall. Miller is expected to be suspended next season, but it is unclear how long such a suspension will last.
Regardless of the punishment, Miller’s return to Cincinnati will draw applause throughout the neighborhood. Xavier thrived—as did many of his former coaches—under Miller from 2004 to 2009, appearing in the NCAA Tournament four times, including the Elite Eight in 2008 and the Sweet 16 in 2009. musketeers. He won 73% of his games as head coach, posting a career high of 422-156 in 17 seasons with three Elite Eight runs (one at Xavier, two at Arizona).
Stadium was the first to inform Xavier of Miller’s return.