Athletic Department is too quiet with Arizona Basketball

The 2020-21 Arizona Basketball season is in the rearview mirror, and with the future in limbo for the Wildcats, it is time for the Athletic Department to make a decision. 

Monday evening’s loss to Oregon brought an unceremonious and unfortunate end to the 2020-21 Arizona Basketball season.

That loss was four days ago, and with Sean Miller entering the final year of his contract in 2021-22, it is decision time for the Athletic Department.

Arizona Wildcats

So far, things have been quiet, too quiet in fact. And with the national media reveling at the chance to publicly lambaste the Wildcats at every opportune moment, the days have grown long, and the silence is increasingly deafening.

After Arizona Football lost to rival Arizona State, it took Arizona Athletic Director Dave Heeke and University President Dr. Robert Robbins roughly 24 hours to secure a donation and pay out the remaining $7 million to have Kevin Sumlin never coach the Wildcats again.

With a $1.5 million buyout on the table for Miller should he be fired now, you have to be wondering what is taking so long, hell, we at least we are thinking the same thing.

At this point, there are virtually only two reasonable options for the school to make.

1. They let him go, pay out the remaining contract, likely blow up the roster and incoming recruiting, and begin the lengthy rebuild process as they await the program awaits their fate from the NCAA through the Independent Accountability Resolution Process.
2. Give Miller a two-to-three-year extension with a buyout that is favorable to the University should things turn sour following the release of the Notice of Allegations.

Anything outside of that would be crazy. Also, in no way should the school sit idle either, allowing Miller to enter the final year of his contract. Aside from the obvious damage, it would do in recruiting, what would the school be waiting for at that point? You either move on or you continue to ride out the storm.

My guess (albeit a bit biased), is that the Allegations likely don’t reveal much other than what we already know. It will be a bad look on Arizona, and the ones that want Miller gone are still going to want him gone, and the ones defending him are still going to give him the pass.

You are now heading into year four of this mess with no resolution, and the school needs to act now. Waiting this long to even address the issues at hand shows poor leadership by this administration.

The ball is in Heeke and Robbins’ court, and we’re all waiting.