Sean Miller is out after 12 seasons with the Wildcats as a basketball coach in Arizona, sources confirmed to Gary Parrish, CBS Sports, yesterday. Miller was in a dire situation with the school’s administration while Arizona awaits punishment after the NCAA’s investigation stems from the FBI’s investigation into corruption in the recruitment of college basketball.
Miller set a record of 302-109 in 12 seasons with the Wildcats and the program led to three Elite Eight appearances. Previously, he was the coach at Xavier for five seasons. The former Pittsburgh point guard has won three Pac-12 Coach of the Year awards during his time in Arizona.
Book Richardson, a former Arizona assistant coach, pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges in 2019. Arizona finally released its notice of allegations in March and it included five Level I offenses. The charges include a suspected Level I offense against Miller and an overall charge of institutional control against the program.
The Wildcats is one of several programs awaiting decisions from the IARP, which is an independent body established in 2019 to adjudicate complex NCAA offense cases. The IARP has yet to deliver a ruling of any kind, as it also handles cases concerning, among others, LSU, Kansas, NC State, Memphis and Louisville.
Arizona itself has imposed a season-long ban for the 2020-21 season. The Wildcats last appeared in the NCAA Tournament at the end of the 2017-18 season and lost in the first round. They ended the 2020-21 season with a 17-9 (11-9 Pac-12) record. With a net ranking of 47, the Wildcats would probably have been on the bubble to make it to the NCAA Tournament if they had been eligible for the event.