New Men’s Basketball head coach Archie Miller will be tasked with returning the University’s crown jewel back to the national stage. PHOTO CREDIT: gorhody.com
Archie Miller, new head coach for the University of Rhode Island Men’s Basketball team, was officially unveiled to the local community at the Higgins Welcome Center on Monday morning.
Miller reportedly agreed to a five-year contract worth $8.5 million Friday, per the Providence Journal, to become the program’s 21st head coach. He replaces former coach David Cox, who the program parted ways with on March 11 after posting a 64-55 record during his four-year stint with the team. Miller was joined at the press conference by Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, President Marc Parlange, Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn and his wife Morgan Miller. He expressed his excitement at the opportunity of becoming the program’s next leader.
“This is the most ready I’ve ever been in my life and the most excited I’ve been in my life,” Miller said.
The hire was made by Bjorn along with the help of a team made up of Associate Athletic Directors Garrett Waller and Britney Miles and Shane Donaldson. Bjorn explained that the department went through a thorough process, but that Miller stood out from the very start.
“I had great conversations with a number of potential candidates throughout the past week,” Bjorn said. “But there was one person who we identified right from the beginning, and that was Coach Miller.”
Bjorn also expressed their aligned vision to build a program that could win the Atlantic 10 and compete late in the NCAA Tournament year in and year out.
Before coming to Kingston, Miller previously coached at Indiana University from 2017-21 and before that, he was at Atlantic 10 rival Dayton from 2011-17. With the Flyers, the program recorded five 20+ win seasons and four NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2014 where they beat Ohio State University, Syracuse University and Stanford University. Miller joked during his speech that it’s finally nice to be on the other side of a rowdy Ryan Center crowd.
“The Rhody fan base is fantastic and I know that because I took the brunt of it [at Dayton],” Miller said. “The facilities are beautiful, game day is electric. We have to make that a constant.”
He also stated that one of the biggest reasons why he decided to come to Kingston was the tremendous support system behind him in the form of Bjorn and Parlange.
“It’s exciting––it’s humbling,” Miller said. “You’re always grateful to have an opportunity. You always want to be around people who believe in you.”
Miller will be inheriting a rebuilding program. It has been four years since the program has tasted the NCAA Tournament. Two players will be graduating in May and as many as six more could also potentially be out the door. Malik Martin, Ishmael Leggett, Antwan Walker, Tres Berry, Allen Betrand and Ileri Ayo-Faleye have all entered the transfer portal in the last 10 days, all with the option of returning to Kingston next season.
Touted for his recruiting, Miller says he wants to build a program of tough, defensive-first players that want to play the game at a fast pace.
“Style of play is big,” he said. “Our style will be fast, free-flowing and unselfish. Defensively, we will be connected and tough. That’s how you win in March. We want a hard, hard group of people. When the people on the other side think about our players and our program, they shake their heads. I have to play against them? That’s going to be hard today.”
But he did warn that before there are good times, there will be hard times, which he prefaced to his time at Indiana University where he has fired after four seasons and no NCAA Tournament appearances.
“I’ve stood up here at these press conferences a few times,” Miller said. “One time, I stood up here at 32 years old and I was 0-0 for real. No job, no wins, never had any experience. You go through your growing pains. We honored that process and we were able to have a group that broke through. Moved to a second spot and had a press conference. I was popular––only at the beginning. With change comes transition, and it’s hard.”