Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Sean Miller

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Sean Miller made an impact.

Sean Miller is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach at the University of Texas at Austin. He previously coached at the University of Arizona (2009-2021) and Xavier University (2004-2009, and 2022-2024). Miller is known for his success in developing talented players and leading his teams to NCAA Tournament appearances.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1985: Calipari Joined Pitt

In 1985, John Calipari joined the Pittsburgh Panthers as an assistant coach.

1986: WPIAL Title

In 1986, during his junior year, Sean Miller led Blackhawk High School to the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) title.

1987: Started Playing at Pitt

In 1987, Sean Miller started playing basketball at the University of Pittsburgh, becoming the starting point guard as a true freshman.

1987: WPIAL Championship Game

In 1987, during his senior year, Sean Miller averaged 27 points and 11 assists per game and helped lead his Blackhawk Cougars to the WPIAL championship game.

1988: Calipari Left Pitt

In 1988, John Calipari left the Pittsburgh Panthers.

1992: Finished Playing at Pitt

In 1992, Sean Miller finished playing basketball at the University of Pittsburgh, having played 128 games and scored 1,282 points.

1992: Graduate Assistant Position at Wisconsin

In 1992, after graduating from Pitt, Sean Miller took a graduate assistant position at Wisconsin.

1993: Assistant at Miami (Ohio)

In 1993, Sean Miller spent two seasons as an assistant at Miami (Ohio) under Herb Sendek.

1996: Rejoined Sendek at North Carolina State

In 1996, Sean Miller rejoined Herb Sendek at North Carolina State.

1997: Josh Pastner Led Memphis

In 1997, Josh Pastner was a member of the national title team, who would later go on to coach Memphis.

2000: NIT Semifinals

In 2000, during Sean Miller's time at North Carolina State, the Wolfpack made a run into the NIT semifinals.

2001: Arizona vs Duke Title Game

In 2001, Arizona and Duke last met in the title game.

2001: Joined Xavier

In 2001, Sean Miller joined Thad Matta's staff at Xavier as the first associate head coach in the school's history.

2001: NCAA Tournament Appearances

Since 2001, Miller’s teams at XU and Arizona have appeared in 15 NCAA Tournaments.

2002: Pac-12 Tournament Title

In 2002, Arizona won their first Pac-12 Tournament title since 2002.

2004: Arizona's Elite Eight Appearance

In 2004, Arizona had their first Elite Eight appearance since the 2004-2005 Season.

2005: Arizona's Elite Eight Appearance

In 2005, Arizona had their first Elite Eight appearance since the 2004-2005 Season.

2006: NCAA Tournament appearances as Head Coach

Since 2006, Miller’s teams have made it to 12 NCAA Tournaments as a head coach.

2008: Elite Eight Loss

In the 2008 NCAA tournament, Sean Miller's 3rd seeded Xavier Musketeers were eliminated in the Elite Eight by #1 seed UCLA after beating Georgia, Purdue and West Virginia.

April 6, 2009: Accepted Arizona Head Coaching Job

On April 6, 2009, Sean Miller accepted the head coaching job at the University of Arizona, despite initially turning it down.

2009: Last coached at Xavier

In 2009, Sean Miller last coached at Xavier prior to being rehired in 2022.

2009: Sweet Sixteen Loss

In 2009, Sean Miller's Xavier team was eliminated in the Sweet 16 by another #1 seed, Pittsburgh.

2010: Kentucky No. 1 Signing Class

In 2010, Kentucky held the No. 1 signing class.

2010: Top Recruiting Class

In 2010, Sean Miller compiled a recruiting class that included 4 ESPNU top 100 recruits, which was widely regarded as a top ten recruiting class.

2011: Recruiting Class Ranked 7th

In 2011, Arizona's recruiting class was ranked 7th, and they secured the No. 1 signing class nationally, surpassing Kentucky.

2011: Return to College Basketball Relevance

In the 2010-11 season, Sean Miller guided Arizona back to college basketball relevance, leading them to a top 10 ranking, a Pac-10 Regular Season Title, a 30+ win season, and an Elite Eight appearance.

December 9, 2013: Ranked #1 in the Country

On December 9, 2013, Arizona became the #1 ranked team in the country after a 9-0 start.

2013: Sweet Sixteen Appearance

In 2013, Sean Miller guided Arizona to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament before falling to Ohio State.

February 28, 2015: Longest Active Home Winning Streak

On February 28, 2015, after Gonzaga's loss, Arizona claimed the longest active home winning streak in D-I men's college basketball and also won its share of the Pac-12 regular season title.

2015: FIBA Under-19 World Championship

In 2015, Miller served as the head coach of the USA men's Under-19 junior national team, which won the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship with a perfect 7–0 record, earning him the co-national coach of the year award by USA basketball.

2016: Contract Extension

In 2016, Sean Miller signed an extension through the 2022 season as the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats.

2017: Replaced as head coach

In 2017, Miller was replaced by John Calipari as the head coach of the USA men's Under-19 junior national team, ending his 2-year run.

2017: Pac-12 Coach of the Year

In 2017, Sean Miller won his 3rd Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor.

2018: NBA Draft First Pick

In 2018, Deandre Ayton (Bahamas), one of Miller's international signees, was the first pick in the NBA Draft.

2018: 250th Win for Arizona

In 2018, Sean Miller recorded his 250th win for Arizona (370th win overall).

April 7, 2021: Fired by Arizona

On April 7, 2021, Sean Miller was fired by Arizona after 12 seasons as head coach.

March 19, 2022: Hired by Xavier

On March 19, 2022, Sean Miller was hired by Xavier after last coaching at the school in 2009.

2022: End of Contract Extension

Sean Miller's contract extension ended in 2022.

2023: NBA All-Star and Most Improved Player

In 2023, Lauri Markkanen (Finland), one of Miller's international signees, was an NBA All-Star and the NBA Most Improved Player Award winner.

March 23, 2025: Taking job in Texas

On March 23, 2025, it was announced that Miller would take the job vacancy in Texas after Texas fired its previous head coach, Rodney Terry.

Mentioned in this timeline

Basketball is a team sport played on a rectangular court...

College basketball involves amateur student-athletes competing for university teams Several...

Pennsylvania is a U S state located in the Mid-Atlantic...

Arizona is a U S state located in the Southwest...

Miami is a major coastal city located in South Florida...

North Carolina a state in the Southeastern U S borders...