Arizona’s Sean Miller named head coach of USA U19 Team
May 14, 2015, 9:29 AM | Updated: 9:29 am
The University of Arizona’s Sean Miller has been named the head coach of the 2015 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Championship Team.
Miller will replace Billy Donovan, who was going to serve in that role until leaving the University of Florida to be the head coach of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I am honored to be named head coach of the USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Championship Team,” Sean Miller said in a press release. “It is exciting to be coaching such a talented group of young players, as well as working alongside a great coaching staff. I look forward to the responsibility and challenges that lie ahead in our journey to win the gold medal at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship.”
Miller was an assistant on the coaching staff under Donovan in 2014, when the U18 National Team won a gold medal at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship last summer.
The UA coach’s staff will include Providence’s Ed Cooley as well as his brother Archie Miller, who is the head coach at the University of Dayton.
“It’s very exciting to be working with this coaching staff,” Miller said. “Ed Cooley and I were assistants together under Billy Donovan on the U18 National Team that won gold last year in Colorado Springs. We were familiarized with the international game and we both enjoyed being part of a style of play that Billy brought to last year’s team. We look forward to continuing that style this summer.
“Additionally, rejoining my brother Archie as part of this staff is special. We worked together for two seasons at the University of Arizona before he left to become the head coach at Dayton. Obviously, we have great familiarity with each other and share a similar philosophy with the game. The familiarity that Archie, Ed and I share should be an asset toward our success with the Men’s U19 World Championship Team.”
Also joining Miller will be Arizona men’s basketball trainer Justin Kokoskie.
In six seasons with the Wildcats, Miller has guided the program to a 163-52 record while winning the Pac-12 regular season title three times and the Pac-12 Tournament once. His teams have reached the NCAA Tournament’s Elite 8 three times.
