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BG women's hoops -- Miller mentioned for New Mexico post

BG women's basketball coach Curt Miller has been mentioned as a candidate for the women's basketball position at the University of New Mexico.

The Alburquerque Journal printed a story Thursday that has speculated that Miller is a candidate for the position at New Mexico. The Lobos are looking to replace Don Flanagan, who retired following a 13-18 season. That was the Lobos' first losing campaign since 1995-96, Flanagan's first year as head coach.

Click here for a link to the story about Miller and the New Mexico position.

“I do not make a habit of speculating on job openings at other schools for any of our coaches," BG athletics director Greg Christopher said in a statement released by the university. "With eight consecutive seasons of 20 wins or more, and seven consecutive trips to national postseason play, the Bowling Green program has achieved a level of success unparalleled in Mid-American Conference history.

"I am excited about the future of BGSU women’s basketball.”

When asked if New Mexico had asked for permission to speak with Miller, Christopher declined further comment.

MIller's name has been linked to the job at New Mexico largely through Paul Krebs. Krebs, currently the athletic director of the Lobos, formerly held the same position at Bowling Green and hired Miller as women's basketball coach in 2001.

Last season Miller led Bowling Green to a 28-5 record and the Mid-American Conference tournament title as well as the Falcons' fifth NCAA tournament appearance. Miller has a record of 234-85 in his 10 seasons at BG.

“Any time you are mentioned as a candidate for a job, it is flattering," Miller said in a statement. "The rumors are actually a compliment to programs that have achieved success at a championship level. I am proud that we have been able to build a program in which our student-athletes have succeeded both on and off the court."

Miller will be on the road starting Friday, when an open recruiting period for women's basketball begins.

above per John Wagner - The Blade

Coaching in front of 8,000 a night in a much better climate zone? I'd do it...

Bowling Green’s Miller ‘Obvious Guy’ To Replace Flanagan
By Ken Sickenger / Journal Staff Writer on Apr. 14, 2011



Paul Krebs found a winning formula in Ohio.

Bowling Green women's coach Curt Miller, who was hired by current UNM athletic director Paul Krebs, has enjoyed a great deal of success guiding the women's program is widely considered a solid candidate to replace Don Flanagan on the Lobo bench.

Could he use the same mixture to re-ignite the University of New Mexico women’s basketball fortunes?

The name of Bowling Green State University coach Curt Miller continues to pop up in connection with the University of New Mexico’s open women’s basketball coaching position. UNM is conducting a national search to replace Don Flanagan, who resigned last week.

Associate head coach Yvonne Sanchez has been appointed interim coach and will be interviewed for the permanent position, New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs said. He declined to name or comment upon any other candidates, but several college coaches believe Miller is in the mix.

“He’s the obvious guy,” one coach said. “He’s been successful and he has connections with Paul Krebs and the Mountain West.”

All true.

Miller, a former associate head coach at Colorado State, was hired at Bowling Green in 2001 by none other than then-BGSU athletic director Krebs. In the 10 seasons since, Miller’s Falcons have gone 234-85. They’ve won six straight Mid-American Conference titles, five MAC tournament crowns in seven years and advanced to the NCAA Tournament five times.

The Falcons went 28-5 this season, falling to Georgia Tech in round one of the NCAA Tournament. Bowling Green had eight seniors on its roster in 2010-11, including three-time team MVP Lauren Prochaska.

Bowling Green assistant director for athletic communications Mike Cihon chuckled when asked about rumors linking Miller and UNM. Cihon handles women’s basketball media relations at BGSU.

“We get rumors like this about (Miller) every year,” Cihon said. “I haven’t heard anything official or otherwise, but all things considered I’d be surprised if Paul Krebs was not talking to Curt Miller.”

Miller, whose contract runs through 2016, was not available for comment Wednesday and is scheduled to go on a recruiting trip today, Cihon said.

Prior to coaching at Bowling Green, Miller spent three seasons as Colorado State’s associate head coach under Tom Collen. The Rams were 81-20 in that span.

Krebs declined to give many specifics about UNM’s coaching search but did say the opening has created a significant buzz.

“There’s a lot of interest in the position,” he said. “We’re working through the process and I feel good about where we are.”

Krebs said UNM’s search committee is building a candidate list through recommendations, personal applications and by reaching out to potential coaches. He hopes to interview between three to five finalists, including Sanchez.

“There’s not a magic number,” Krebs said, “but I would think that’s a workable range.”

Sanchez also was to leave for a recruiting trip today and expects to be interviewed early next week, she said. Krebs said there is no specific timetable for hiring a coach but said, “the sooner the better.”

Miller’s is not the first name to emerge from the coaching rumor mill but may be the most viable to date. Lobo fans have trumpeted former UNM men’s players Kelly Graves and Michael Cooper as candidates, but both would appear long shots at best. Graves recently signed a 10-year extension as Gonzaga’s women’s coach after taking the Bulldogs to the Elite Eight.

Cooper, the women’s basketball coach at Southern Cal, has been connected to UNM men’s basketball coaching openings in the past but does not have a college degree, which is a requirement for the women’s position.

Since when did we have EIGHT Srs. on this yrs. roster? At least that part of the article was wrong...hope the rest is too, though I couldn't blame Curt for seriously looking if the money is there, which it probably is.

Some of their fans are less than thrilled with the possible choice of Miller.

http://thelobolair.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27892

h2oville rocket wrote:Some of their fans are less than thrilled with the possible choice of Miller.

http://thelobolair.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27892

Good! Then we'll just keep him here!!!!

Falcon Fanatic wrote:

h2oville rocket wrote:Some of their fans are less than thrilled with the possible choice of Miller.

http://thelobolair.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27892

Good! Then we'll just keep him here!!!!

I don't think they realize the quality of players and teams he's had at BG. I suspect Krebs pays little attention to sports message boards when making decisions and he KNOWS how good Miller is. I was just a little surprised that the fans weren't more excited-he'd be a great hire.

h2oville rocket wrote:

Falcon Fanatic wrote:

h2oville rocket wrote:Some of their fans are less than thrilled with the possible choice of Miller.

http://thelobolair.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27892

Good! Then we'll just keep him here!!!!

I don't think they realize the quality of players and teams he's had at BG. I suspect Krebs pays little attention to sports message boards when making decisions and he KNOWS how good Miller is. I was just a little surprised that the fans weren't more excited-he'd be a great hire.

I hate to agree with a Rocket fan, but ... I agree. Miller probably doesn't seem like a very 'exciting' choice to the New Mexico fans, but I imagine Krebs has his own plan and is sticking to it. And, I agree that Miller would be a great hire. I'm only hoping that there's someone else who Krebs thinks would be an even better hire. This is one time when I'd be glad for Miller to finish as the runner up

I cringe thinking of another coaching vacancy filled by GC. Hold on Curt, stay a bit longer please.

Ordinarily I'd agree with you Sub-zero, but this one's so easy (ie: promote Jennifer Roos to head coach) that even GC couldn't screw it up.

I mean, is there really any doubt that's what would happen if Curt leaves?

bgsufalcon24 wrote:Ordinarily I'd agree with you Sub-zero, but this one's so easy (ie: promote Jennifer Roos to head coach) that even GC couldn't screw it up.

I mean, is there really any doubt that's what would happen if Curt leaves?

Unless she would want to go with Curt....

But selfishly for BG, I hope Curt stays.

University of New Mexico imo would be a step down.. Plus he is not going anywhere.

Dukefann9er wrote:University of New Mexico imo would be a step down

Bigger school, bigger arena, much bigger city, and probably a nice pay increase, not really seeing how NM would be a step down. Yeah New Mexico had a down year, but if Curt does ever leave it won't be for a school that had a better year then BG, it will be for a rebuilding job, either in a high mid-major conference like the Mountain West or Atlantic Ten (minus that Xavier opening I mentioned a couple weeks ago) or a mid-tier BCS school

BGFalconfromCincy wrote:

Dukefann9er wrote:University of New Mexico imo would be a step down

Bigger school, bigger arena, much bigger city, and probably a nice pay increase, not really seeing how NM would be a step down. Yeah New Mexico had a down year, but if Curt does ever leave it won't be for a school that had a better year then BG, it will be for a rebuilding job, either in a high mid-major conference like the Mountain West or Atlantic Ten (minus that Xavier opening I mentioned a couple weeks ago) or a mid-tier BCS school

People here were also saying Utah was a lateral move at best when Urban left.

Tricky_Falcon wrote:

BGFalconfromCincy wrote:

Dukefann9er wrote:University of New Mexico imo would be a step down

Bigger school, bigger arena, much bigger city, and probably a nice pay increase, not really seeing how NM would be a step down. Yeah New Mexico had a down year, but if Curt does ever leave it won't be for a school that had a better year then BG, it will be for a rebuilding job, either in a high mid-major conference like the Mountain West or Atlantic Ten (minus that Xavier opening I mentioned a couple weeks ago) or a mid-tier BCS school

People here were also saying Utah was a lateral move at best when Urban left.

I thought about bringing up Urban to Utah in what I said since Utah and NM are in the same conference, but wasn't sure if how people saw that move (as that happened before my time at BG)

Also while I know it was a completely different situation, it should be remembered that New Mexico got their men's head coach (Steve Alford) to leave the head coaching job at a Big Ten school (Iowa) to take their head coaching job.