Arizona coach Sean Miller will live to coach another day. After reports broke the discussed a $100,000 payment to secure Deandre Ayton, Miller looked doomed. He’s denying those reports and will return to the sideline.
At a Thursday press conference that many believed would be used to announce his dismissal or resignation from the school’s basketball program, Miller instead blasted the ESPN report that accused Miller of discussing a $100,000 payment for Deandre Ayton’s services at Arizona with ASM Sports runner Christian Dawkins.
Miller said, “Though I have done nothing wrong, I am responsible for our men’s basketball program.” He expressed frustration with how the report impacted the program, especially Ayton and his family. Attacking the chronology reported by ESPN, which has been the focus of several follow-up reports at other outlets, Miller explained that he did not meet Dawkins until after Ayton had already committed to Arizona.
“I have never paid a recruiter prospect, or their family or a representative to come to Arizona. I never have and I never will,” he said.
Miller did not coach Saturday in a loss to Oregon, but the school made it clear that the decision in that case was Miller’s. ESPN’s Jeff Goodman reported today that Miller will coach the team Thursday night against Stanford. ESPN also stood by their previous reporting on this issue and refused to back down.
Arizona assistant Emmanuel “Book” Richardson was one of four coaches in the country arrested when the FBI’s investigation into fraud within NCAA basketball began last fall. The ESPN report from last week claimed that Miller told Dawkins to speak directly with him when it came to paying Ayton, rather than Richardson.
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Miller’s press conference came just hours before the Arizona Board of Regents was scheduled to meet and discuss the head coach’s future. That meeting is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET.
The Wildcats will host Stanford at 8:00 p.m. tonight as they wrap up their regular season.