Revised and Extended Miller Sales Pitch

Even if you’ve been living under a rock, surely you’ve heard by now – Sean Miller’s sophomore-laden Arizona Wildcats delivered an epic, vicious beating to senior-led, defending national champion Duke last night. Any chance of an “under the radar” courtship, or U of A passing on a bidding war for Miller’s services – completely out the window. Once again, big thanks to Lee Fowler for determining in his infinite wisdom that Sean Miller wasn’t ready five years ago, but Sidney Lowe somehow was.

Yet I woke up this morning with an unequivocal frame of mind – so f-ing what. DY has no fear heading into this hire. Neither should we. Let’s compete with Arizona on an even playing field, with their leadership as “all in” on Miller as Wolfpack Nation.

Sean Miller can have pretty much any job he wants now. We know that he believes NC State offers everything one needs to build a championship basketball program. Instead of hoping for him to stumble, let’s be confident of how attractive and special a place NC State is. That Miller will choose NC State as an ideal place to win his second national championship. That he wants the spotlight on him 10+ times a year, rather than 2 or 3. I watched a ton of non-ACC basketball this year. How many times were Pac Ten games featured? How far down the channel list would I have to scroll just to find out Miller’s Wildcats were playing (likely at 11:30 EST)?

If Sean Miller comes to NC State, he brings instant credibility to battling the blues. You can bet your ass that his matchups won’t be Raycom regional splits. And when Roy and K retire in the next 7-10 years, who will be better positioned to be the top dog in college basketball? Hell, maybe the Andy Katzes of the world will be left navel-gazing about the “challenge” of bringing in a new blue coach to work in the shadow of Sean Miller and NC State.

That’s what we have to offer, Sean. We hope to see you back in Raleigh soon. Thanks for your consideration, now get back to kicking some ass on the hardwood.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

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76 Responses to Revised and Extended Miller Sales Pitch

  1. Boyd 03/25/2011 at 11:05 AM #

    I’m done listening to all of this negativity. Nobody can read in to what he said. The fact that DY hasn’t pulled the trigger on some of the other coaches that have expressed interest should indicate that she’s got complete confidence that she will get her man.

    This game will not sway his opinion one way or another. IMO, The win against Duke is a good thing. For Sean to know that K has absolutely no answer for what he’s putting on the floor is a major confidence booster.

    I think if Derrick Williams stays, Sean Miller will probably stay. That being said, I think they’ll have a talk when they are out of the tournament, and both will say “I’m gone.” Sean isn’t sour about us not considering him 5 years ago. He’s perfectly aware of how much of a dud Fowler is. This is a different team. We have different administration, and a lot more to offer. 1 game will not sway our chances of getting him if he wants to come.

    For those who say “when was the last time someone left their school after leading them to an elite 8?” Sean left Xavier for U of A after an elite 8 and a sweet 16 run.

    I’m not saying he’s coming. I’m not saying he’s not. I’m saying that until he says No at the end of the season, I’m not counting him out, and you shouldn’t either. Everyone should take a breath. Go back to work. Maybe, watch some mindless TV when you get home and stop worrying about it.

  2. Itiger 03/25/2011 at 11:08 AM #

    I think this deal was already done and the more Sean wins the better it makes him and DY look…Perhaps, I am dreaming and wishing but everything I see and feel tells me that Sean Miller will be the next NC State Men’s Basketball Coach.

    Go Pack and Sean Miller…we are waiting for you!

  3. Lunatic Fringe 03/25/2011 at 11:32 AM #

    I am just thankful for a busy Friday morning at work. I am not sure the result last night would change drastically the decision, but I continue to be patient and let’s see how this thing plays out.

  4. Howler 03/25/2011 at 11:39 AM #

    “Living in Lute’s Shadow”?

    I don’t think living in his shadow is all that hard with the success he’s having. Is there anyone in AZ right now complaining that Miller is not Lute?

    Again, Miller is now established with a program capable of winning national championships. Unless there is some factor related to family, desire, etc., Miller has no reason to leave, and that’s okay; there are other coaches out there, “names” and “up and coming” who can be great for us. I know Miller beat Duke 12 hours ago, but let’s broaden our vision a little bit.

  5. scotchzombie 03/25/2011 at 11:43 AM #

    It’s fun to get excited and then have your excitement dashed (in fact, isn’t that what being a State fan is all about?) – but whether we’re depressed, jaded, chill or confident it won’t change the outcome. Enjoy the ride and trust in Yow.

  6. Rick 03/25/2011 at 11:47 AM #

    “I want Miller so bad I can taste it…but if we can’t get him, we need to find the next one. Archie perhaps?”

    Did you learn nothing under Lowe?

  7. Howler 03/25/2011 at 11:52 AM #

    Agree about Archie. Hiring an asst. with no head coaching experience would quickly make me lose faith in Yow

  8. NOT A FAN OF BLUE 03/25/2011 at 12:04 PM #

    Sean, just BRING IT!
    This has nothing to do with which job is better, money, prestige or whether you have to play dook and the ‘holes.
    Roy left Kansas for UNC. Ask yourself “why”
    If you love STATE, consider STATE your true home, believe in STATE and want to see STATE return to its rightful place … then freekin’ BRING IT!

  9. Hungwolf 03/25/2011 at 12:09 PM #

    I see Miller’s comments as putting ARZ in the position of giving him a raise. He just moved his family, has a great team, and has a great recruiting class coming in. As long as Arz. pony ups the pay, I say Miller stays. Lets move on to more realistic candidates!

  10. cWOhLFrPAiCKs 03/25/2011 at 12:19 PM #

    Not sure if anyone else has posited this yet, but I think last night’s game was THE interview. DY told SM that if he could beat K in the NCAAT, he could come coach State. He’s been begging her from the moment Sid resigned to let him come home and be the coach at State. DY being the smart lady she is, told him to prove himself in the NCAAT, and then we’d talk.

    The way he beat Duke last night, I think he was out to prove something.

  11. blackdom 03/25/2011 at 12:28 PM #

    Miller is from Western Pa, he played at Pittsburg coached here for a few years what is the if you truly love State stuff?

  12. drgreenhouse 03/25/2011 at 12:42 PM #

    Regardless of whether or not we hire Sean Miller; our next coach will end up leading us back relevance. Too much money, too much prestige and too many egos are on the line for that to not happen. If that doesn’t happen, then we’ll try again. Have faith in our new administration until they prove us otherwise. Think about how much of this search we are generating names on message boards and rumors on message boards but we are hearing nothing from our AD, our Chancellor, the press or flight tracking info. It may drive us crazy in the world of wanting to know information, but relish the fact that no one knows what cards we are playing. We can complain about other schools snatching up other coaches, but what if they are the ones panicking? It’s a long time to next basketball season, we’ll be ok.

  13. GAWolf 03/25/2011 at 1:01 PM #

    Killer whales don’t eat giant blue fin tuna off the coast of Arizona….

    http://www.epicblitz.com/2011/03/hatteras-report-3212011-orcas-eating-bluefin-tuna-for-breakfast.html

  14. packalum44 03/25/2011 at 1:11 PM #

    “1 game will not sway our chances of getting him if he wants to come.”

    But 2 might. It is not just the Duke game. It is the Texas game too. If he got knocked out in the second round, chances are good that he is in Wolfpack red today. Instead he’s in the Elite 8 and has a taste of his team’s potential. Good chance he makes the Final Four – if so move along before you’re left behind in the dust.

    Sean’s team played the game of their life, they F—ing hit EVERYTHING and got ALL the bounces. History tells us that teams usually don’t see those games back-to-back. Sean, however, seems to instill a certain toughness and swagger that certainly lend an intangible quality to his teams that becomes profound in an abstract sense during the tournament. He’s not a one trick pony, indeed he’s quite special. Brad Stevens is equally special.

    Regardless, I have faith that Yow will make the best hire she can. I can’t change the past or predict the future. I’m at peace with whatever goes down. Just remember, the coaches don’t make this school special. We do. One game, one coach, one man, one missed opportunity cannot shake my blind and unwavering allegiance to a place I call home. Go Pack.

  15. Wolfy__79 03/25/2011 at 1:19 PM #

    to me this is EXACTLY why i say unc and duke are not to be feared. even Sidney’s beatdown delivered to duke at the rbc wasn’t exactly a fluke… he just couldn’t get that effort on any consistent basis. i read alot of people tooting duke’s horn as if they are ELITE and better than? NOT! st johns proved this as well earlier this year too! to take them on in the regular season is a little bit different animal… but basically the same concept… they were intimidated… just like all smug asses can be (unc and duke).. i don’t know if we get miller, but i do know that duke’s blistering last night in the second half can be done by more than one potential coach for us!

  16. tvopack 03/25/2011 at 1:24 PM #

    I know SM will get a boost from winning the whole thing but I also believe DY should encourage him by saying each round he wins he gets a bonus onced he’s hired at NC State. That makes it more fun for him and NC State will always be on his mind during the tournament.

  17. bradleyb123 03/25/2011 at 1:25 PM #

    About the supposed offer we made ($3.2 million/year, plus big incentives, plus long term contract…) is it realistic to think we have ALREADY offered him something at this point? Because you normally hear that a school has asked for permission to contact their coach. Would we offer Miller something without first asking Arizona’s permission to contact him?

    We surely would not even ask for permission to talk to him until their season is over. So in theory, the offer should not have come yet. Unless we’re talking to him under the table or in a back alley. Is that normally how these things work? You make the deal, THEN you play the PR game of making it look like you did things in the acceptable sequence?

  18. PackerInRussia 03/25/2011 at 2:15 PM #

    I agree about this game not changing anything. I can’t see someone thinking, “If I only make the Sweet 16, I’m outta here. If I make the Elite 8, I’m staying.” He wouldn’t come out of some desire to leave Arizona or a change for change’s sake. If that’s all it were, then I would agree that the more he wins, the less the chance. It would be more about a desire to be at State for any number of reasons stated already. So, his winning isn’t going to affect that. Heck, for all we know, if he does want to come to State, he may feel better about getting Arizona really far in the NCAAT as a parting gift to them.

  19. JSRy2k 03/25/2011 at 2:18 PM #

    What kind of sway does Archie have in this decision? And where are their wives from?

    And before you start thinking I’m nuts, let me disclaim the following by saying I want a proven head coach too and this is just for the fun of it:
    – Archie is a pretty good asst. coach candidate, for resume and bloodline.
    – Speaking of bloodline, what about Chris Collins? When will somebody pick him up?

  20. wolfmanmat 03/25/2011 at 2:22 PM #

    that “living in Lute’s shadow” comment is possible the most illogical thing I’ve ever heard. Any big time program there is going to be a “shadow.” If there’s no Valvano/Roy/K/Izzo/Knight/Pitino/Calhoun/Behiem/etc shadow, then you are at a small time job. Plus, it’s not like our programs “shadow” isn’t scarier. Our shadow has cost each coach since Jimmy V their jobs….and I’m not just saying Jimmy or Norms shadow, we have K’s and Roy’s and Dean’s too….at least Lute’s shadow won’t cost a job in the near future.

  21. jazzman 03/25/2011 at 3:07 PM #

    Just thought I would share this with my good friends from NC. Greg Hansen, Sr. Sports Columnist for the AZ Daily Star in Tucson, who is in Anaheim covering Arizona’s Elite Eight game on Saturday, just held a Live Chat.

    Needless to say, there were several questions posed as to Sean Miller’s coaching future. Here are some questions asked and Greg’s responses:

    Q: “Will Arizona re-negotiate Miller’s contract?”

    A: “The UA and Miller have reached agreement on a contract extension. They’ll announce it in the next few days, or whenever Arizona’s season is over.

    It’s always going to be like this, I suspect.

    Sean Miller won’t leave Arizona for the money, the one thing that would tempt him is the brand and the recruiting possibilities. Ohio State is one job that would tempt him most, I think.

    He would not ever, ever, ever, go to North Carolina State and get involved in that treadmill to nowhere.

    He’s still a Big East guy at heart, and maybe someday an opening at UConn or Pitt might tempt him, but remember this: Kentucky twice offered Lute Olson that job, in 1985 and again in 1989, when he could’ve doubled his salary and gone and no one could’ve blamed him.

    He stayed for lifestyle reasons, and because, in the Pac-10, Arizona basketball sells itself.”

    Q: “Is there any truth to the rumors that Sean Miller, and especially his wife Amy hate the summers living in Tucson and the Desert?”

    A: “I hear those rumors and many more.

    My feeling, from those I talk to inside the UA, are that they are not true.
    There was an adjustment period, moving from Ohio to Arizona, but it’s been two full years now.

    The energy of the city and the basketball populace solves a lot of homesickness. As far as the summers are concerned, the nice thing about being UA basketball coach making $2M is that it affords you the opportunity, as Lute Olson has since 1985, to have a summer house in beautiful San Diego. The kids and wife can be there during the summer and Tucson is only a 50 minute flight away if you need to be at UA for workouts, etc. It worked for Lute Olson for 25 years.

    Q: Greg, what can you tell us about the rumors of Coach Miller bolting after just 2 years?

    A: “I know that Miller and AD Greg Byrne have reached agreement on an extension in the last week or 10 days. Once the North Carolina State job opened — even though it had no real attraction for Miller — it became necessary to lock him up as soon as possible.

    I almost feel sorry for the people at Missouri, NC State, Utah, Georgia Tech, et. al., because there isn’t an available coach like Sean Miller out there this year. Once the Richmond and VCU coaches are hired away next week or so, it’s a slim job market for buyers.”

  22. LRM 03/25/2011 at 3:22 PM #

    Look, Archie Miller may very well be a great head coach someday. But you have to realize that Lee Fowler is the only AD in the ACC that would ever hire a guy with zero head coaching experience at the college level.

    Archie is still very young and I’m sure he’s hoping for his first head coaching opportunity to present itself. But it won’t be at State.

  23. gtspack 03/25/2011 at 5:32 PM #

    JSRy2k, Archie’s wife is an State alum. and I’ve heard that Seans wife if from NC, but I’m not sure about her.
    If we can’t get SM I would be very happy with Archie. AM has worked under Thad Matta and SM which are the two hottest coaches in the country right now. I just don’t think we should have the arrogance that he should have to pay his dues coaching a mid-major before he’s ready to coach at State. He could very well end up at school and have great success and not want to leave(like SM could).

  24. JSRy2k 03/25/2011 at 5:46 PM #

    “North Carolina State…that treadmill to nowhere.”
    Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Mr. Hansen, Sr., I suggest you look up NC State’s storied history, rabid fanbase, excellent facilities and now-competent administration, not to mention conference, location, etc. Such caustic remarks usually come from the mouths of the fearful. If you were confident in your assertions you wouldn’t need to resort to such ignorant vitriol. Are you worried Sean Miller might actually be interested in the Wolfpack?

  25. bill-1956 03/25/2011 at 7:23 PM #

    I love the thought / hope that Sean Miller or Billy Donovan are AD Yow’s top targets.

    But –

    I also truly / honestly / fervently believe that Butler’s Brad Stevens is the next “Mike Krzyewski”.

    I’d love to see Brad Stevens introduced as State’s next head coach (and State’s coach for the next 20+ years).

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