Hiring Coach Miller

JoeFalcon · Post by **JoeFalcon** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:35 am

With two straight MAC championships and NCAA tournament appearences, it's obvious that the decision to hire Curt Miller as Head Women's Basketball Coach was one of the best decisions Paul Krebs and Janna Blais ever made.

What's less obvious and much more intriguing is the eventual path taken by the other reported finalists for the job at that time: Georgia Tech Associate Head Coach Candy Cage, Michigan Assistant Coach Yvette Harris and Kent State Associate Head Coach Lori Bodnar.

Cage got a Division I head coaching job at Loyola College in Maryland and resigned in 2005 after four losing seasons. Harris got a Division I head coaching job at Central Connecticut State and, to this point, has had four straight losing seasons. Bodnar remained at Kent and continued to contribute to a consistnetly winning and successful program but one that has fallen behind BG the past few years.

Circumstances in different situations are different and it's unknown whether Cage and Harris would have experienced different results from a W/L perspective in BG. Of the 3, Bodnar would seem to have been the next best pick, something I also believed at the time given her expereince in the MAC and recruiting ties to Ohio.

It just goes to show how critical the ability to idenitfy the right coach for the right situation is. Krebs and Blais saw something in Coach Miller that seperated him from the rest, and it has paid off.

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 2:57 pm

Great point. Coach Miller has been nothing short of sensational. The man recruits very well, coaches to the max and cares for his team greatly. Sure he can push and yell...he usually does. But he has created quite a family atmosphere in that locker room. His assistants are all top notch, quality people and coaches. When you have quality people in coaching roles like this, is it any wonder how well BG has done. I heard a saying the other day..."Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care". Miller cares for his players and will fight for them to the end. He signed that contract extension in the off season and showed BG the loyalty BG has shown him....it's a beautiful thing!

This year's team is gonna rock again...can't wait to see 'em in action!!!!

TOGETHER WE ATTACK.....AND THREEPEAT!!!!

JoeFalcon · Post by **JoeFalcon** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:11 pm

Freak, you bring up an excellent point about the team being a family. Family members can yell at each other and disagree, but in the end still be close. That's definitely the atmosphere Miller has cultivated. Combine that with X's and O's acumen and diligent recruiting and you've got a championship program.

A really great blog on women's basketball coaching run by an anonymous D-I coach raves about Coach Miller and listed Roos and Poole as two of the best assistants in the game. I'd add Kevin Eckert to the list as well.

http://womenshoopsscoop.blogspot.com/20 ... chive.html

(It's about 3/4 the way down under the heading "Lists that make you go hummmmmm.)

BGSU96 · Post by **BGSU96** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 7:57 pm

This team is definitely a family. Many of the upperclassmen, Whit, Kate, Ali, Amber and I think Liz, are all living in a house together this summer and for the 2006-2007 school year. They seem like a vety close knit bunch that really have fun playing basketball and hanging out together. Coach Miller and the other coaches can be hard on them at times but they really seem to flourish in that environment. I feel that we are really lucky to still have all 4 of our coaches after the outstanding seasons we have had the last couple years.