Miller leaves Butler
Jul 8, 2008 17:57:38 GMT -5
Post by Raider Country on Jul 8, 2008 17:57:38 GMT -5
Miller's On The Road Again
By Jeff Rapp, Basketball Analyst & Staff Writer
Jul 8, 2008
Thad Matta needed to find a capable and savvy assistant to begin to make up for the loss of John Groce from his coaching staff last month and he didn't need long to find his replacement -- former Ohio State aide Brandon Miller. The 29-year-old Miller will assume full-time duties. "He knows how I operate and what my vision is for this program," Matta said today.
Brandon Miller’s personal highway between Indianapolis and Columbus just tilted east – again.
Miller, who was a star player at Butler University including one season there under coach Thad Matta, has decided to return to work for his mentor at Ohio State. The university announced today that the 29-year-old had accepted a full-time post on the Buckeye staff, effectively replacing John Groce, who was serving in the role as associate head coach when he left the program in late June to become the next head coach at Ohio University.
Miller returns to OSU after spending one season at his alma mater as an assistant coach and three seasons under Matta at Ohio State.
“Brandon is a person I had the utmost respect for as a player and now have for as a coach,” Matta said in a statement. “I recruited him out of high school and coached him at Butler. He worked for me at Xavier and was crucial to the early success we experienced at Ohio State our first three years. He knows the collegiate game as a player having played in two NCAA Sweet 16’s and as a coach having been part of an Atlantic 10 Championship and an NCAA Elite Eight appearance, two Big Ten championships and an NCAA national championship game appearance.
“He has been part of our coaching family and knows how I operate and what my vision is for this program. Brandon is very passionate about Ohio State and what this university represents and I know he is thrilled to call Columbus home once again.”
Miller was brought on board quickly in the summer of 2004 soon after Matta took over head coaching duties at Ohio State. Then just 25, he assumed the role of director of basketball operations, holding that position for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. For the 2006-07 season, he assumed responsibilities as video coordinator, flopping roles with Dave Egelhoff. That allowed Egelhoff to tend to more administrative duties such as scheduling and kept Miller closely involved with game preparation and practice planning.
That season, of course, the Buckeyes went on to win a school-record 35 games, repeating as outright Big Ten champions and finishing as national runners-up.
The connection between OSU and Butler strengthened after that. The same night OSU was playing Florida in the NCAA final, word spread that Butler head coach Todd Lickliter had taken the job at Iowa, which was left vacant by Steve Alford. It was assumed Groce would be an immediate frontrunner for the job but Butler athletic director Barry Collier, Matta’s coach at the school, instead quickly elevated Brad Stevens.
Miller left OSU to join the Butler staff as a full-time assistant, and, ironically, helped guide the Bulldogs to a 65-46 defeat of Ohio State on Dec. 1 of last year.
Ohio State replaced Miller prior to last season with another young assistant with the same surname as Matta hired Archie Miller to join forces with Groce and Alan Major on the fulltime staff. Meanwhile, veteran assistant Dan Peters shifted into the role of associate director of basketball operations to coordinate with Egelhoff.
While back at his alma mater, Brandon Miller was involved in recruiting, skill instruction, game preparation and on-court coaching. His duties with the Buckeyes will be in a similar capacity.
However, Matta has not named any of his assistants to Groce’s title of associate head coach and their roles may not yet be completely defined.
Miller first arrived at Butler in 1999, after spending one season on the basketball team at Southwest Missouri State and playing for Alford, like him a native of New Castle, Ind.
He sat out his first season and then started 97 consecutive games over his final three years with the Bulldogs. During his four years at Butler, Miller was known for his feistiness and propensity to hit big shots while playing for Collier, Matta and Lickliter. He became one of just eight players in Butler basketball history to score over 1,000 points in just three seasons and he finished his BU career with 1,121 points.
As a player, Miller helped Butler to a three-year record of 77-20 and three trips to postseason tournament play. As a senior, he led the Bulldogs in scoring (11.9 points per game) and assists (3.4) as the team recorded a 27-6 record, a Horizon League championship and a trip the NCAA Sweet 16 after upset wins over Mississippi State and Louisville. He finished his career among Butler’s all-time leaders in three-point field goals (189) and assists (305).
After the season, Miller was named Butler’s co-MVP as was a co-recipient of the school’s Most Outstanding Male Athlete Award. He received the Horizon League’s 2002-03 Cecil M. Coleman Medal of Honor, the League’s highest individual award, and he was named recipient of the 2003 “Chip Hilton Award,” presented annually to the NCAA Division I player who demonstrates outstanding leadership, character, integrity, sportsmanship and talent. In 2006, he was named to the 15-player, Butler Team of the Sesquicentennial.
Miller, whose full name is Roger Brandon Miller, earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Butler in 2003 with aspirations of being a coach. His goal achieved, he’s got some more traveling to do on Interstate 70 and beyond.
Miller is expected to join Matta and staff on the road as early as today to begin soaking in player camps this month and handle other recruiting duties. He also will uproot his family to make the move.
He and his wife, Holly, have an infant son, Mason Allen.
www.bucknuts.com/news/story.php?article=4041
By Jeff Rapp, Basketball Analyst & Staff Writer
Jul 8, 2008
Thad Matta needed to find a capable and savvy assistant to begin to make up for the loss of John Groce from his coaching staff last month and he didn't need long to find his replacement -- former Ohio State aide Brandon Miller. The 29-year-old Miller will assume full-time duties. "He knows how I operate and what my vision is for this program," Matta said today.
Brandon Miller’s personal highway between Indianapolis and Columbus just tilted east – again.
Miller, who was a star player at Butler University including one season there under coach Thad Matta, has decided to return to work for his mentor at Ohio State. The university announced today that the 29-year-old had accepted a full-time post on the Buckeye staff, effectively replacing John Groce, who was serving in the role as associate head coach when he left the program in late June to become the next head coach at Ohio University.
Miller returns to OSU after spending one season at his alma mater as an assistant coach and three seasons under Matta at Ohio State.
“Brandon is a person I had the utmost respect for as a player and now have for as a coach,” Matta said in a statement. “I recruited him out of high school and coached him at Butler. He worked for me at Xavier and was crucial to the early success we experienced at Ohio State our first three years. He knows the collegiate game as a player having played in two NCAA Sweet 16’s and as a coach having been part of an Atlantic 10 Championship and an NCAA Elite Eight appearance, two Big Ten championships and an NCAA national championship game appearance.
“He has been part of our coaching family and knows how I operate and what my vision is for this program. Brandon is very passionate about Ohio State and what this university represents and I know he is thrilled to call Columbus home once again.”
Miller was brought on board quickly in the summer of 2004 soon after Matta took over head coaching duties at Ohio State. Then just 25, he assumed the role of director of basketball operations, holding that position for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. For the 2006-07 season, he assumed responsibilities as video coordinator, flopping roles with Dave Egelhoff. That allowed Egelhoff to tend to more administrative duties such as scheduling and kept Miller closely involved with game preparation and practice planning.
That season, of course, the Buckeyes went on to win a school-record 35 games, repeating as outright Big Ten champions and finishing as national runners-up.
The connection between OSU and Butler strengthened after that. The same night OSU was playing Florida in the NCAA final, word spread that Butler head coach Todd Lickliter had taken the job at Iowa, which was left vacant by Steve Alford. It was assumed Groce would be an immediate frontrunner for the job but Butler athletic director Barry Collier, Matta’s coach at the school, instead quickly elevated Brad Stevens.
Miller left OSU to join the Butler staff as a full-time assistant, and, ironically, helped guide the Bulldogs to a 65-46 defeat of Ohio State on Dec. 1 of last year.
Ohio State replaced Miller prior to last season with another young assistant with the same surname as Matta hired Archie Miller to join forces with Groce and Alan Major on the fulltime staff. Meanwhile, veteran assistant Dan Peters shifted into the role of associate director of basketball operations to coordinate with Egelhoff.
While back at his alma mater, Brandon Miller was involved in recruiting, skill instruction, game preparation and on-court coaching. His duties with the Buckeyes will be in a similar capacity.
However, Matta has not named any of his assistants to Groce’s title of associate head coach and their roles may not yet be completely defined.
Miller first arrived at Butler in 1999, after spending one season on the basketball team at Southwest Missouri State and playing for Alford, like him a native of New Castle, Ind.
He sat out his first season and then started 97 consecutive games over his final three years with the Bulldogs. During his four years at Butler, Miller was known for his feistiness and propensity to hit big shots while playing for Collier, Matta and Lickliter. He became one of just eight players in Butler basketball history to score over 1,000 points in just three seasons and he finished his BU career with 1,121 points.
As a player, Miller helped Butler to a three-year record of 77-20 and three trips to postseason tournament play. As a senior, he led the Bulldogs in scoring (11.9 points per game) and assists (3.4) as the team recorded a 27-6 record, a Horizon League championship and a trip the NCAA Sweet 16 after upset wins over Mississippi State and Louisville. He finished his career among Butler’s all-time leaders in three-point field goals (189) and assists (305).
After the season, Miller was named Butler’s co-MVP as was a co-recipient of the school’s Most Outstanding Male Athlete Award. He received the Horizon League’s 2002-03 Cecil M. Coleman Medal of Honor, the League’s highest individual award, and he was named recipient of the 2003 “Chip Hilton Award,” presented annually to the NCAA Division I player who demonstrates outstanding leadership, character, integrity, sportsmanship and talent. In 2006, he was named to the 15-player, Butler Team of the Sesquicentennial.
Miller, whose full name is Roger Brandon Miller, earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Butler in 2003 with aspirations of being a coach. His goal achieved, he’s got some more traveling to do on Interstate 70 and beyond.
Miller is expected to join Matta and staff on the road as early as today to begin soaking in player camps this month and handle other recruiting duties. He also will uproot his family to make the move.
He and his wife, Holly, have an infant son, Mason Allen.
www.bucknuts.com/news/story.php?article=4041
