Report: New competition emerges for South Carolina in pursuit of Sean Miller

Former Arizona coach Sean Miller’s name has come up multiple times in coaching circles this offseason, notably with South Carolina. But a new team has entered the mix — and the Gamecocks have some competition.

Miller appears to be a serious candidate for the Xavier head coaching job, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. The two sides met Friday to discuss the job, Rothstein said.

That’s a big development considering South Carolina’s push to hire Miller, who was let go as Arizona coach after the 2020-21 season. It’d be familiar territory, though. Miller coached at Xavier from 2004-09 before heading to Arizona from 2009-21. Arizona fired him for on- and off-the-court issues after the Wildcats went 17-9 overall, including 11-9 in Pac-12 action last season.

The Wildcats hired Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd to replace him, and he helped them become a No. 1 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Arizona entered the NCAA Tournament 31-3 and won the Pac-12 Tournament over UCLA.

Xavier recently moved on from Travis Steele after the Musketeers missed the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season. In his four years with the program, he totaled a 70-50 overall record and a 31-37 mark in Big East action. In 2021-22, Xavier went 19-13 overall and 8-11 in conference play.

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Miller has a decorated resume on the court, Arizona fired him at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, as the university cited both on- and off-the-court issues. Miller coached at Arizona for 12 years, amassing a 302-109 overall record and ranking as high as No. 1 in the AP Top 25 Poll (2013-14 season). He helped the Wildcats capture five Pac-12 regular-season titles, while winning three Pac-12 Conference Tournament titles.

Miller earned the Pac-12 (or Pac-10) Coach of the Year honors three times: in 2010-11, 2013-14 and 2016-17. Moreover, he helped produce three Consensus All-Americans at Arizona in Deandre Ayton, Nick Johnson and Derrick Williams.

Miller, 53, was investigated for off-the-court recruiting violations while at Arizona, notably one that alleged he offered to illegally pay athletes to attend Arizona — notably, Ayton, a future No. 1 NBA Draft pick. Miller denied the allegations brought against him.

South Carolina is working to replace Frank Martin, who was fired after an 18-13 campaign in 2021-22, including 9-9 in SEC play. He had a 171-147 career record with the Gamecocks, but only made one NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017. However, South Carolina went to the Final Four in that one March Madness berth.

“After a thorough evaluation of our men’s basketball program, we have decided to make a change,” South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said about the decision. “We are grateful for the dedication that Coach Martin has made to Gamecock Basketball. We wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future.”