CINCINNATI — After 13 years, Sean Miller is back in Cincinnati. Xavier introduced Miller as its men's basketball head coach Friday, a title he previously held from 2004 to 2009.
In a one-on-one interview, the former A-10 Coach of the Year said his return to Cintas Center felt "very comfortable." Still, a lot has changed since Miller's last tenure — one of the biggest being his reputation.
Miller was fired in 2021 after 12 seasons with the University of Arizona. Though his teams were successful, the Wildcats faced allegations of multiple NCAA rules violations as part of the 2017 men's basketball corruption scandal.
While the NCAA issued Arizona an amended Notice of Allegations in 2021, the case is not over. Miller said Friday the process has "almost" ended and there is no connection to Xavier.
"This is a brand new beginning, and when that time arises, I'll have the opportunity to talk a little bit more," Miller said. "But while that process isn't quite finished right now, I'm not able to talk about it today."
During his announcement ceremony, Miller referenced "lessons learned" while at Arizona. He later said he had some great moments in Tucson, "almost at the pinnacle of what you want to experience as a college basketball coach," but noted some of the moments "especially at the end" weren't so great.
"But I think we all have that opportunity to learn and grow from everything, and I know I've talked a lot about that, but that's my path that I've described and that path has led me back here," Miller said.
Despite all of the changes, Miller said there is still a familiarity between Xavier, its fans and him. He said he "almost expected" his warm welcome Friday because he understands how passionate the fans are about the program.
"The one thing that I know, there's not a city in the United States that loves college basketball more than Cincinnati," Miller said. "And when you're a college basketball coach, what place would you rather be? I know that. I was here the first time and look forward to embracing that this time."
For more on Miller's return to Xavier, click here.
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