Arizona Basketball: 6 Most Interesting Coach Sean Miller Moments

Over the last eight seasons Sean Miller has been the coach at the University of Arizona and has provided some memorable moments.

Another Wildcat basketball season is upon us. While we all wait to see what happens next with all the investigations, we thought now would be a good time to re-visit those top moments he provided Wildcat fans since he began his reign in Tucson in 2009.

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There have been many moments that Coach Miller has been a part of – some good, some bad, some questionable and some that are just brilliant! Some may not even agree with the decisions and choices he has made over the years – but that’s easy to say when you are not in the thick of things. Say what you want about Coach Miller and his decision-making, but there is a good reason he is the head coach.

Since he took over as head coach for the Wildcats, he has taken the team to six NCAA tournament appearances, including three élite eight appearances and has an overall record of 220-66. Plus, he has coached talented players who have gone on to have great careers in the NBA.

These are listed in chronological order, with the oldest moment starting first.

No. 6 2010-11 Season

Coach Miller’s second season as head coach for the Wildcats, he brought back that Arizona dominance that fans were used to seeing during the Lute Olson era. Not only did he lead his team to a 17-0 winning streak at home, they also won the Pac-12, took the team to the Elite Eight and finished 9th overall in the nation. Plus, Miller earned Pac 10 Coach of the Year!

The Wildcats finished with an overall record of 30-8 and 14-4 in the Pac-12.  The highlight of the season would be the NCAA tournament run his team went on.  They won in the first round against Memphis, won in a wild finish against Texas, their comeback performance to beat No.1 seeded Duke and lost only by two points in the Elite Eight to the Connecticut Huskies – the 2011 National Champions.

Stars of the team that year were Derrick Williams and Solomon Hill – now NBA stars! Coach Miller’s second season would go on to feature great things.

No.5 March 15th, 2013 – “He touched the ball”

He touched the ball! On March 15, 2013 the “he touched ball” incident was heard around the country. The play occurred during the Pac 12 tournament semifinal matchup against the UCLA Bruins.  At around 4:47 to late in the second half, Wildcat guard Mark Lyons was driving the ball down the lane when Bruin defender Jordan Adams got his hand on the ball.

Then it happened. Lyons was called for a double dribble and Miller disagreed, repeatedly saying to the referee, “He touched the ball, he touched the ball, he touched the ball,” (referring to Bruins defender Adams making contact with the ball, enough to allow Lyons to continue to dribble the ball again without being called for double dribble). That was enough to get Miller a technical foul – are you kidding me?!

Not only that, supposedly his reaction in the hallway on the way to the locker room was in question, so the Pac-12 fined Miller twenty-five thousand dollars. The head Pac-12 ref was later forced to resign due to his encouraging refs to T-up Miller in exchange for a trip or something like that. Seems Miller was right to be angry.

The Bruins would go on to score both technical free throws and ended up winning the game by two points – how ironic. Can’t blame Coach Miller at all for not only defending his player in this situation but also defending an obvious rule that was missed by the referees.

No.4 Winning the 300th game

On January 30, 2016, Coach Miller won his 300th game of his basketball career against the Oregon State Beavers at home, 80-63. Gabe York lead the team with 24 points, Ryan Anderson led with 12 rebounds and Kadeem Allen lead the team with six assists.

After the game Coach Miller was presented with the game ball by the Athletic Director (at the time) Greg Bryne.

Since that game, Miller has gone 40-9 and has proved himself as a solid NCAA Division One coach. Yes, he has not gone past the “Elite Eight” roadblock, but that shouldn’t take anything away from what he has accomplished during his coaching career.

No.3 Sweaty shirt incident during 2016 NCAA Tournament

This man sweats! During the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament against Wichita State, Coach Miller was trending on Twitter!  The Wildcats ended up losing that game 55-65, but that didn’t stop the jokes from coming:

It took Coach Miller only 10 minutes to generate that much sweat! One of the reasons he had sweated so much was because had worn a new shirt that was thinner and more breathable. Plus, the intensity he brought to that game contributed to the overall amount of perspiration.

To say that Coach Miller doesn’t know what it takes to win or doesn’t have enough passion is just not true. He leaves it all out on the sideline every night and this game was an example of that. If there is one lesson to be learned is that Miller knows how to get fans talking even if his team doesn’t have a great night.

No.2 Rawle Alkins Red and Blue game dunk

Miller with the assist! In the 2016-17 Red and Blue game, Miller held the ball high over his head, while freshman Rawle Alkins grabbed and dunked it! Miller allowed his freshman to do this with one promise – to play defensive during the year – see, coach is always thinking!

This dunk not only got fans and players on their feet, but it set the tone for the rest of the year. With the amount of talent Miller had this past season, he put a lot of trust into his freshman, Alkins, Lauri Markkanen and Kobi Simmons to perform in high-pressure situations.

The Wildcats didn’t get to the promised land in Phoenix, but they had a remarkable season that many other division one schools could only dream of – which all started with a dunk! Who knows what Coach Miller has in store this next season (if he is the coach). We can all agree that he knows how to get his players motivated!

No.1 UCLA timeout

Timeout! The game of basketball requires both physical and mental toughness. In the 2017 Pac 12 Tournament semifinals against Steve Alford and the UCLA Bruins, that was the case! With .9 seconds left Coach Miller called a timeout, up 86-75 – oh no he didn’t!

There are a couple reasons why Miller did this. One of the factors was that Alford called a timeout at Mckale Center, a month prior, with his team up 77-72 and two seconds left. Not only was this not necessary, it happened on Allen’s senior night.

When Miller was asked after the game why he did this, he responded with this statement and a straight face:

"“I didn’t mean any disrespect either,” Miller said. “I think Steve told me he was setting his defense up [in last month’s game], and I was setting my inbounds play up."

Checkmate! Game Over!  What a bold move by Miller! He made the right decision by defending his players and senior, Allen. That’s what being a great coach is all about! Next time I’m sure Alford will think twice before doing that again. Can’t beat that “Arizona Poise” the team showed the Bruins.

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As you can see, the last eight seasons under Coach Miller have given us a lot to remember. Whatever happens next for Coach Miller, that should not diminish what he has accomplished while coaching – at Arizona. Bear Down!