Sean Miller interviewing with Arizona today.

[VegasWarrior77]

Multiple sources are reporting that Sean Miller is talking to Arizona AD Jim Livengood in Albuquerque, N.M.  Unless they offer a boat load of $$$ I don't see him taking it.  "You don't replace the legend.  You replace the guy who replaced the legend."  This is from the Cincinnati Enquirer: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090405/SPT0102/304050038/1065

Report: Miller Arizona candidate
By Dustin Dow • ddow@enquirer.com • April 5, 2009

FOX Sports is reporting that Xavier coach Sean Miller is meeting with Arizona today. Citing sources, the article says Miller was picked up in a private plane on Sunday morning and will meet with Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood in Albuquerque, N.M.

CBSsports.com is also reporting that Miller is flying to Arizona this morning.

Both publications reported last week that Arizona, which was turned down by USC coach Tim Floyd, was interested in Miller.

But as of Friday Xavier athletic director Mike Bobinski said the reports were nothing more than rumor.

"More of the same - can't control or be responsible for substantiating unfounded rumors," Bobinski wrote in a text message to the Enquirer on Friday.

Calls to Bobinski this morning were not immediately returned.

Miller, 40, has been the Xavier coach for five seasons, and taken the Musketeers into the NCAA Tournament four times, including this year's Sweet 16 run which ended with a narrow loss to No. 1 see Pittsburgh.

The Musketeers are expected to be a pre-season top 10 team in 2009.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

Wouldn't the guy who replaced the legend be Kevin O'Neil ... ?

[Nukem2]

Wouldn't the guy who replaced the legend by Kevin O'Neil ... ?

Actually technicaly not as Lute returned over the summer and bailed out as in October when full practices began.

[VegasWarrior77]

Kevin O'Neil and Russ Pennell were both interim head coaches.

[Knight Commission]

Chris Mack will be a fine replacement for Miller at Xavier.

[Chili]

Actually technicaly not as Lute returned over the summer and bailed out as in October when full practices began.

By bail out you mean told by doctors to retire for health reasons, right?

[The Lens]

Shouldn't this all happen under the cover of darkness with America finding out b/c one of Sean's celeb in-laws breaking the news and then all of Xavier's players and Admin finding out via the ticker?

[Blackhat]

Shouldn't this all happen under the cover of darkness with America finding out b/c one of Sean's celeb in-laws breaking the news and then all of Xavier's players and Admin finding out via the ticker?

This way Miller gets his raise from Xavier. 

[VegasWarrior77]

This way Miller gets his raise from Xavier. 

+1
I read that he's making $800k/year @ Xavier and could possibly make $2m/year @ Arizona.  That's a lot of cash to turn down!  The AD is under the gun to find a "name" replacement.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Shouldn't this all happen under the cover of darkness with America finding out b/c one of Sean's celeb in-laws breaking the news and then all of Xavier's players and Admin finding out via the ticker?

Like Bennett at Wazzu?    By the way, how did New Orleans find out about Buzz leaving after just one year on the job?  I don't know that answer, that's why I'm asking.  I suspect he told them, nevertheless I'm sure after only one year on the job they weren't very happy, especially considering the recruiting season was done and they couldn't do much to replace him. 

[Blackhat]

Buzz went up to the AD and said "you ain't got my money, I'm going to *$&^ing  kil.....I'm leaving."

[wildbillsb]

Like Bennett at Wazzu?    By the way, how did New Orleans find out about Buzz leaving after just one year on the job?  I don't know that answer, that's why I'm asking.  I suspect he told them, nevertheless I'm sure after only one year on the job they weren't very happy, especially considering the recruiting season was done and they couldn't do much to replace him. 

Chicos,
Serious question from a blog-challenged poster:  How does one put a previous post inside the rectangular box with the blue-purple color?

Thanks,

[Tugg Speedman]

Chicos,
Serious question from a blog-challenged poster:  How does one put a previous post inside the rectangular box with the blue-purple color?

Thanks,

Click on the little link in the upper right hand corner of each post titled "quote"

[bma725]

Miller is staying at Xavier per FoxSports:

http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/goodmanonfox

[Blackhat]

arizona boards are in meltdown mode.

one poster is sporting this as his sig:

[CAINMUTINY]

Makes our selection process last year look good compared to Zona's.......

They should go after J. Vangundy (Personal favorite as he's from my hometown and coached my beloved knicks)

Also, I read something during their wooing of Calipari that their ceiling for pay was pretty low, does anyone think that is why an elite program cannot attract a quality coach?

[VegasWarrior77]

What about Josh Pastner taking the job?  He's a great, hard working assistant who knows the program.  He brought some key recruits to Arizona.

[GGGG]

Makes our selection process last year look good compared to Zona's.......

They should go after J. Vangundy (Personal favorite as he's from my hometown and coached my beloved knicks)

Also, I read something during their wooing of Calipari that their ceiling for pay was pretty low, does anyone think that is why an elite program cannot attract a quality coach?

It's not an elite program.  Bad location prospect-wise.  Facilities aren't great.  And don't give me the weather crap - if weather was all that important to college athletes the Big East wouldn't be so dominant in basketball.

Dumping O'Neill was a big mistake on their part.  He knew the place, knows how to recruit (and they need a recruiter) and obviously has a history of success.  They should have stood up to Lute at that point.

[CAINMUTINY]

I agree with a lot of what you say but you cannot deny its an elite program....

[bma725]

I agree with a lot of what you say but you cannot deny its an elite program....

Sure you can.  It's a historically bad program that had an elite run with Lute Olsen.  They were very bad before he got there outside of maybe three years under Fred Snowden in the mid 1970s.  They have yet to prove that they can have success without Lute or his players involved and until they do they are not a truly elite program.

[The Lens]

The one thing thye have going for it right now is a ravenous fan base.  It's a religion down there. 

[CAINMUTINY]

Same thing could be said about UCLA prior to wooden.....but none the less its an elite program

[bma725]

Same thing could be said about UCLA prior to wooden.....but none the less its an elite program

Difference is that UCLA has now proved that they can be successful without Wooden.  They've gone to Final Fours without him, they've won titles without him, they've proven to be an elite school, not just a school with an elite coach.

Arizona hasn't shown that yet, and until they do they are not an elite job, just a program that had an elite coach.  And there's a huge difference.

[VegasWarrior77]

Arizona without Lute and Memphis without Cal = mediocrity.

[GGGG]

Elite programs are those that sustain success over the course of time no matter who the coach is.  UCLA, Indiana, Duke, UNC, Kansas, Kentucky, etc. are all "elite" programs.  Arizona might get there, but they are not there now.  If Olson's successor sustains what he built, then the program is elite.  If not, they were just an Olson-driven flash in the pan.

If you think about the success that schools like Georgetown, Louisville, Michigan State, etc. have had over the course of time, Arizona starts looking less and less "elite."