Archie Miller Leaves Arizona State to join Ohio State staff

Alums General NCS Basketball88

NC State grad Archie Miller has bolted Herb Sendek and gone to work for Thad Matta at Ohio State. Unlike Sean (who left Sendek/NC State for Xavier) Archie is taking a big step up in stature.

About StateFans

'StateFansNation' is the shared profile used by any/all of the dozen or so authors that contribute to the blog. You may not always agree with us, but you will have little doubt about where we stand on most issues. Please follow us on Twitter and FaceBook

Alums General NCS Basketball

88 Responses to Archie Miller Leaves Arizona State to join Ohio State staff

  1. Clarksa 05/25/2007 at 11:30 AM #

    I believe that Archie was the #2 assistant at ASU and will be the #3 at tOSU…so a step down in coaching duties, but a big step up in programs.

  2. McPete 05/25/2007 at 12:03 PM #

    Thad Matta didn’t even run an offense last season. He just let the guards do what they wanted and occasionally got Oden the ball. I’m not a fan of the guy and think OSU should’ve been a better team last year. There were times Oden was completely ignored as Conley and the rest of the guards jacked up 3’s from all over the court. I thought OSU won in spite of the coaching many times. He’s a great recruiter, but i’m not too big a fan of Thad Matta’s coaching abilities.

  3. lush 05/25/2007 at 1:28 PM #

    ^ agree 100% mcpete. i think that osu was just as talented than florida but florida had much better coaching. experience probably helped too.

  4. sf59 05/25/2007 at 1:58 PM #

    good luck to the most arrogant pack player i ever met 🙁

  5. Rick 05/25/2007 at 2:00 PM #

    “Thad Matta didn’t even run an offense last season. He just let the guards do what they wanted and occasionally got Oden the ball. ”

    That is a light year jump from the weave and heave.

    Oden would have been tossing treys.

  6. Rochester 05/25/2007 at 2:06 PM #

    The thing that always killed me about L’il Archie was the way he’d drive the paint and toss up some wannabe layup that would inevitably get spiked away like a volleyball. As a coach I hope he’s wise enough to tell the little guys to stay out of the paint. I preferred him as a 3-point shooter all the way.

  7. beowolf 05/25/2007 at 2:06 PM #

    Yeah, but imagine how that would have impressed the pro scouts …

  8. redfred2 05/25/2007 at 2:12 PM #

    Well, I guess you can:

    *RUN* the perfectly structured and ordered offense…ASU.

    or

    You can evaluate your personnel and give the players an opportunity to make their own decisions while playing the game they already know, and be in the hunt for a nat’l championship…OSU.

    Giving up that first, and single option, versus going to place with where any number of options may be in play, has got to a tough decision for Archie Miller.

  9. beowolf 05/25/2007 at 2:29 PM #

    AM: “So, whaddaya call that big guy who stays near the basket all the time?”

    TM: “He’s called a center, Arch.”

    AM: “OK. And that little guy who doesn’t shoot that much but keeps driving and dishing the ball to him?”

    TM: “A point guard.”

    AM: “Wow, this is crazy. Five different positions on the same basketball team?”

  10. Rick 05/25/2007 at 2:40 PM #

    TM: “That is called a TEAM”

    AM: “So when do you put all five players behind the three point line?”

    TM: “Ah, why would I do that?”

    AM: “Cuz three points are more than two. DUH!”

    [shaking head]TM: “We got a lot to learn”

  11. beowolf 05/25/2007 at 2:49 PM #

    AM: “Here’s one of my favorite plays. It really worked, especially in the early nonconference games.”

    TM: “What are these designations? ‘SM, SM, SM, SM, and PF?” If the “PF” is power forward, why is he in the point guard slot?

    AM: “Those are swingmen. You can’t have enough of them.”

    TM: “What about ‘WTSCR5’? What does that mean?”

    AM: “Wait till shot clock reads 5 — then shoot.”

    TM: “Who shoots?”

    AM: “Whoever has the ball. The other team never knows!”

  12. Rick 05/25/2007 at 2:56 PM #

    TM: “Where did you learn that?”

    AM: ” We learned alot from that team that wears red, white and blue.”

    TM: “What team?”

    AM: “You know, they have never lost! They are amazing”

    TM: “Do you mean the Harlem Globetrotters?”

    AM: “Yeah, we studied their offense. It never fails to score.”

    TM: “But they… Its not a real…” [smacks head]

  13. packbackr04 05/25/2007 at 3:02 PM #

    greta stuff, rick and beo. great stuff. keep going please.

  14. beowolf 05/25/2007 at 3:24 PM #

    TM: “Now, we need some situational plays. Let’s say there’s 15 seconds left, the score’s tied, and you’ve got the ball at halfcourt. What sort of plays have you run?”

    AM: “Wait — set plays?”

    TM: “Well … YEAH. Don’t you have a play drawn up for that situation? Tie game, last possession, that sort of thing?”

    AM: “Oh, well, same as always: work the ball around the perimeter, hold the ball for 30 seconds, try to get an open three.”

    TM: “You’ve only got 15 seconds. And the score’s tied. Why a three?”

    AM: “Three points are more than two.”

    TM: “OK, OK, whatever, we’ll work on that later. What about the time? You can’t hold the ball for thirty seconds when there’s only 15 seconds to go.”

    AM: “Well, someone will figure that out. And he’ll shoot. No prob. It worked for Marcus Melvin at Houston. That was so cool.”

  15. jwrenn29 05/25/2007 at 9:44 PM #

    (Yawn) Wake me when football season starts.

  16. redfred2 05/25/2007 at 10:11 PM #

    FUNNY!!! stuff guys!!! I love it!!!

  17. mafpack 05/25/2007 at 10:59 PM #

    rofl, good stuff 🙂

  18. redfred2 05/26/2007 at 12:56 AM #

    TM: Hey Archie, quick question before we start this first practice session. Back when you were there at NC State, why do you think you guys couldn’t win any titles, or, beat UNC.

    AM: Well Thad, our guys played hard, we gave it our best shot, we excuted well, I give a lot of credit to our players, they gave 110 percent, you can’t expect to win them all, we were just unfortunate, we came to play, we had injuries, we had our game faces on, we won some big games, they’re a great basketball team, I can’t take anything any from our guys, it’s tempo, we didn’t huh, we couldn’t huh, we weren’t able to huh, what’s that word again?

    TM: Um Archie, we’re in a hurry here now, but do you mean “rebound”?

    AM: YEAH, YEAH, Thanks! That’s it!!! We didn’t uh rebound, we turned it over, they had too many freshmen, their guards, their uh, they had a big uh, the guy in the middle, you know uh, what’s that word again?

    TM: Coach Miller, it’s already past time to start practice, but do you mean “center”?

    AM: YEAH, YEAH, Thanks! That’s it!!! Their uh center, big guy, it’s tough to win on the road, it’s tough to win at home, we had too much experience, they didn’t shoot well, basketball is a funny game, UNC had a very young team, blah, blah, blah, …………….

    Two hours later, practice is over, and Matta walks back over to where the conversation first began, only to find a distraught Archie Miller staring blankly into space and still mumbling something quietly under his breath.

    AM: ……..we were outmanned, the threes weren’t falling, you gotta set solid screens, life is good, ask not what what your country can do for you, I have a dream, c’est toujour le meme chose, pourquois pas, que pasa, set a goal and stick to it, I’m right, I’m always right, for godsake don’t hit that button, don’t pay attention to those damn fans, blah, blah, blah ……….

    TM: Quietly tippy toes away, turns off the lights, locks the doors, and rushes to his office to call security. Then he scrambles to find the number to make a quick call. He starts with “Hey, I don’t know what came over me old buddy ol pal, I am truly sorry and I feel terrible. I was a heel and I shouldn’t have stepped in and stolen your guy right out from under you. After all, he coaches hard, he gives it his best shot, he excutes well, he gives 110 percent, he shouldn’t expect to win them all, blah, blah blah, …………………….

    HS interrupts: But what about all the bad press from this, and the ASU fans, what am I going to do about them? I’ll never live this down Thad.

    TM: THE PRESS???!!! Are f’n you kidding me? You’re ” “!!! They absolutely love you my man. As far as the fans, who gives a rat’s a*s, they’re all loonies anyway.

    And then the voice on the other end of the line, fully knowing and totally understanding every word that TM had just said, and in a way that no other human being on the planet ever could, does exactly what you’d expect only a true CLASS ACT to do. He excepts Madda’s apology, totally forgives Archie Miller, and accepts his misguided protege right back into the fold at ASU.

    Case closed, end of story.

  19. LRM 05/26/2007 at 10:52 AM #

    For those of us that don’t like Archie based on his cocky attitude — real or perceived — need not forgot another short white boy from a while back who was arrogant, cocky and full of FIRE.

    I can’t seem to place his name, though.

  20. brickman 05/27/2007 at 7:13 AM #

    i have a freind that was at acc t a few years back. told me . after i told him what all of you were saying .my freind told me he called archi”s name about 75 yards away in the rain and he came over in the rain to sign autograph that sounds pretty good to me

  21. legacyman 05/27/2007 at 6:51 PM #

    Agreed, Archie and Monte did share a characteristic or two…both were short, white boys but the comparisons end right there.

  22. redfred2 05/27/2007 at 9:18 PM #

    I don’t have problems with AM’s cockiness, that is, if he really was cocky. I haven’t ever seen or heard signs of it, so I don’t really know either way. I was only poking fun at Archie in saying that he was a ” ” clone and could probably spout off an endless array of basketball cliches a mile long, without ever answering a direct question, just like his mentor.

  23. TNCSU 05/27/2007 at 11:15 PM #

    For anyone who knows anything about athletics, cockiness is an attribute that is not only common, but highly desired in many cases. Many people confuse cockiness with confidence. You’ve got to be confident to be a great athlete. With some folks confidence comes off as cockiness, but they’re all confident in their ablilties. You ever met a jet pilot that wasn’t cocky??? I haven’t, and I’ve known a couple….

  24. redfred2 05/28/2007 at 12:48 PM #

    TNCSU, I know it takes a certain mentality and a big ol honking set of b*lls to take on that type of responsibility. Besides, I definitely want to hear something like, “No prob. Chill out. Gotcha covered.” coming over PA just after I look to see an engine or two ablaze in mid-air.

  25. CedarGroveWolf 05/29/2007 at 9:35 AM #

    “Oden would have been tossing treys.”

    how many treys did Ced & Powell throw up?

1 2 3 4

Leave a Reply