Sean Miller Position: Head Coach/Third Year at Arizona Alma Mater: Pittsburgh, 1992

Arizona's climb back to the elite level of college basketball began April 7, 2009, when Sean Miller took over the reins of the esteemed program. In the time since that announcement, Miller has given the Wildcats the stability needed to move forward with confidence, the focus to improve each day and the guidance of a leader who has found success everywhere he's been.

From his first team meeting - featuring just six players - Miller's first 12 months were a whirlwind of activity as he worked tirelessly to rebuild from within. He quickly added eight players to solidify the roster and re-established a system in which defensive intensity and offensive cohesiveness form a relentless unit at both ends of the court.

As he begins year three in Tucson, Miller does so knowing that his approach to building a program has paid quick dividends in the Southwest. The 2010-11 squad won 30 games, captured the Pac-10 regular-season championship, advanced to the NCAA West Regional final and produced the No. 2 selection in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Furthermore, he re-established and strengthened recruiting ties that allowed the Cats to land a top-10 class in 2011 and build consistently strong ones in the future.

While those achievements are certainly worth noting, it's the beneath-the-surface facts that indicate that Miller and his charges might be on the verge of something special in the Old Pueblo.

In just one season, the Wildcats showed vast improvements in all the things that championship clubs do so well: increased points per game, shooting percentages, rebounds, rebound margin and assists, and decreased points, shooting percentages, fewer rebounds and more turnovers out of the opposition. All of that culminated in a 30-8 overall record and the Pac-10 title, Miller's fourth league crown in the previous five seasons.

Such statistical improvements were mirrored individually too, as the 2010-11 Wildcats displayed more poise, were more fundamentally sound, and were stronger and more assertive on the court, a testament to Miller's total program development.

Nowhere was that individual development better displayed than with Derrick Williams. The 6-foot-8 forward blossomed into the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2010 and followed that up with Pac-10 Player-of-the-Year and consensus All-America accolades in 2011. Williams went from the least heralded of Miller's initial five-man recruiting class to the second overall pick in the NBA Draft.

The college basketball world has begun to take notice as UA was ranked as high as No. 10 in both major college basketball polls a year ago - a first for the program in four seasons - and Miller earned 2011 Pac-10 and NABC District 20 Coach-of-the-Year honors for his efforts.

Miller guided UA to a 16-15 record in 2009-10, making drastic improvements from start to finish, and, more importantly, putting into play Miller's belief that there is no such thing as a quick fix. Hard work and a dedicated effort each day breeds success. His charges have adhered to that philosophy each day since.

Prior to moving west, Miller, 42, completed five seasons as head coach at Xavier in 2008-09, and carries a career coaching record of 166-70 (.703) in seven seasons as a collegiate head coach to go with four conference regular-season championships, one postseason tournament title and two 30-win seasons.

While at XU, his clubs posted four consecutive 20-victory seasons and four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The Musketeers won three Atlantic-10 Conference regular-season championships and Miller guided two Xavier teams to the Sweet 16, in 2008 and 2009. He is the school's overall coaching leader in NCAA play with a 6-4 record in his share of Xavier's 20 tournament appearances.

Miller's 2008-09 club won the A-10 championship finishing with a 27-8 record. The Musketeers lost to No. 1-seed Pitt as the No. 4 seed in the East Regional in Boston the day before UA's season ended in its Sweet 16 appearance in the Midwest Region at Indianapolis.

XU was ranked No. 20 in the final Associated Press poll and was ranked steadily after Nov. 25, rising as high as No. 7 on Dec. 15 and holding a spot in the top 10 (ninth) on Feb. 2.

As a player, Miller participated in three NCAA Tournaments for Pittsburgh (1988, 1989 and 1991), coached in one as an assistant at Miami, Ohio, (1995) and in three as associate head coach at Xavier from 2002-04. He is a member of the Pitt all-Centennial Team and a former all-Big East honoree. His Xavier squad reached the Elite Eight in 2008.

Moreover, Miller's work with his student-athletes off the court paid outstanding dividends with 100 percent of the basketball seniors who completed their eligibility since 1996 graduating. While a head coach, 16 Xavier players earned their degrees with an additional pair expected to do so in the near future. Arizona's Nic Wise extended that streak by earning his degree in 2010.

His success with his student-athletes both on and off the court echoes the fact that Miller genuinely cares for their well being. That complete commitment to his charges is a strong indication of his character.

"It's easy to be a fan of Sean. I can't think of anyone in the profession who is more honest and more loyal. Sean is as good a person as there is in college basketball," said Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News.

He is Arizona's sixth appointed head coach in the last 86 years dating to a 36-year run by Fred A. Enke from 1925 to 1961 and concluding with Lute Olson's remarkable stint from 1984 to 2007.

Miller's 30-7 record in 2007-08 set a Xavier record for victories in a season, and helped earn him Atlantic-10 Conference honors, along with his 14-2 record and second A-10 regular-season title. The National Association of Basketball Coaches named Miller its District 10 Coach of the Year and he was a finalist for a number of other national coaching honors.

His record at Xavier (120-47) ranks him third all time on the school's coaching chart behind Pete Gillen (202-75 from 1985-94) and the late Skip Prosser (148-65 from 1994-2001).

Xavier finished 25-9 overall in 2006-07, Miller's third year as the Xavier University head coach. XU won the 2007 Atlantic-10 Conference regular-season championship and advanced to the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Miller finished 21-11 in the 2005-06 season, winning the 2006 Atlantic-10 Championship and earning a berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Miller took over as head coach in 2004, replacing Thad Matta. He was Matta's right-hand man the previous three seasons as XU's first-ever associate head coach. Miller helped the Musketeers record three straight 26-victory seasons and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances that culminated in the 2004 Elite Eight run.

Miller began coaching at Xavier after stops at North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Miami (Ohio) and Wisconsin. He has coached for 15 teams that advanced to postseason play in his first 19 seasons as a head, assistant or associate head coach. That includes five NCAA Tournament berths in his seven years as a head coach, where his record stands at a solid 9-5 (.643) with two Elite Eight and one Sweet 16 appearance to his credit. Additionally, in 19 seasons as a head, associate or assistant coach, Miller's teams have produced 16 winning seasons and averaged better than 20 wins per year.

Considered Pittsburgh's best three-point shooter of all time, Miller was a Big East all-Rookie team pick in 1987-88. In his four-year career he helped lead the Panthers to three NCAA berths and an NIT appearance. He was No. 17 entering 2009-10 on Pitt's all-time scoring chart with 1,282 points, ranked 10th among career Division I free throw shooters at .885 and ranked third all-time in Big East career assists. He was seventh in three-point shooting on the Big East career chart. He played on the United States' 1991 World University Games team that earned a gold medal after his final year at Pitt. He was named to the Pitt all-Centennial Team in 2005.

A native of Beaver Falls, Pa., Miller was born Nov. 17, 1968. He and his wife, Amy, have three sons, Austin, Cameron and Braden. He prepped at Blackhawk High School and earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Pittsburgh in 1992.

Sean Miller's Year-By-Year Collegiate Coaching Record

School	  Year      Record   Pct.  Conf.   Finish   Postseason
Xavier	  2004-05   17-12   .586   10-6    T2nd     --
Xavier	  2005-06   21-11   .656    8-8    T7th     NCAA Oakland Region 1st Round
Xavier	  2006-07   25-9    .735   13-3    T1st     NCAA South Region 2nd Round
Xavier	  2007-08   30-7    .811   14-2    1st      NCAA West Regional Final
Xavier	  2008-09   27-8    .771   12-4    1st      NCAA East Regional Semifinal
XU Totals (5 yrs.) 120-47   .719   57-23

Arizona	  2009-10   16-15   .516   10-8    4th      --
Arizona	  2010-11   30-8    .789   14-4    1st      NCAA West Regional Final
UA Totals (2 yrs.)  46-23   .667   24-12

Overall   7 years  166-70   .703   81-35   .698

Coaching Chronology
Arizona	     2009-pres.	 Two years, Head Coach
Xavier	     2004-09	 Five years, Head Coach
Xavier	     2001-04	 Three years, Associate Head Coach
N.C. State   1996-2001	 Five years, Assistant Coach
Pittsburgh   1995-96	 One year, Assistant Coach
Miami, Ohio  1993-95	 Two years, Assistant Coach
Wisconsin    1992-93	 One year, Assistant Coach

Coaching Honors
2007-08	 Atlantic-10 Conference Coach of the Year
2007-08	 NABC District 10 Coach of the Year
2010-11	 Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year
2010-11	 NABC District 20 Coach of the Year