Dayton extends Archie Miller's contract through 2019

(Press release from University of Dayton Athletics)

DAYTON, Ohio - University of Dayton Vice President and Director of Athletics Tim Wabler has announced that the University has extended head men's basketball coach Archie Miller's contract through the 2018-19 basketball season. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

"The University of Dayton is committed to a national-level basketball program, and this contract extension demonstrates our belief that Archie Miller is the right leader for our program," Wabler said. "We are proud of the academic and competitive success he has led over the last three years, and the momentum of the program is on the path we expect. We are extremely pleased to have Archie Miller has our head men's basketball coach."

Extension conversations began in December and terms were agreed to quickly. The extension was signed in February. However, at the request of Coach Miller, it was not announced publicly to avoid any distractions during the regular season.

"Archie and I met on this before Christmas," Wabler said. "We share a common vision for the program and reached an agreement about moving forward. The extension was signed in February, but Archie was so focused on the team, we agreed to delay an announcement until after the regular season. We respect the focus and attention he wanted to provide the team, not himself."

"But this weekend's success has created the probability that others would speculate on Archie's future. So instead of holding on to this announcement until after the season and letting that speculation begin, we felt making this announcement would eliminate some potential distraction as Archie, the players and his staff prepare for their trip to the Sweet Sixteen."

The extension has Miller feeling both excited and humbled.

"It's a privilege to be the Head Coach at the University of Dayton" said Miller. "We are thrilled about our future. The University of Dayton has everything it needs to be among the best. We have great fans, a totally committed administration, and the key pieces are in place. My family and I appreciate what basketball means to the University of Dayton and the entire city. We're honored to be a part of it. I want to thank Tim, Dr. Curran and everyone for their confidence in me, and in our system."

"When this extension was signed, we were asking our players to focus on getting better 'today' --whether it was in the classroom, the weight room, or on the court. We wanted to eliminate all the noise. It was only right that if they were doing that, that myself and our staff should be focused on helping them accomplish those daily goals."

In only his third season, Miller has coached the Flyers to their first trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 30 years. His 62 wins are already the fifth-best mark in Dayton history, and UD's 25 wins heading into Thursday's regional semifinal game is tied for the fourth highest single-season win total. Thursday's game against Stanford will be Miller's 100th collegiate coaching game.