Archie Miller has been named the new men’s basketball coach for the University of Rhode Island, Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn announced Friday.
Miller signed a five-year contract with Rhode Island. He was officially introduced as the 21st head coach in program history during a press conference Monday, March 21 at 10 a.m.
“I am thrilled to welcome Archie Miller and his family to the University of Rhode Island,” Bjorn said. “Archie has an incredible track record of success. He is very familiar with the Atlantic 10 and is a great recruiter.
“Archie’s goals for this program are the same as mine. Not only do we want to win Atlantic 10 championships, but we want to build a program that competes late into March each year. His passion and enthusiasm are contagious. I am so excited to partner with him in showcasing URI basketball on the national stage.”
Miller comes to Kingston with a storied pedigree in the Atlantic 10. He won two conference titles and had four NCAA Championship appearances in six seasons at Dayton. With a record of 206-121 over the course of 10 seasons as a head coach with the Flyers and Indiana, Miller has averaged more than 20 wins per year and has six postseason runs out of a possible nine seasons.
“My family and I are beyond excited for the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program at the University of Rhode Island,” Miller said. “President Marc Parlange and Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn are aligned in a strong vision for URI basketball, which was everything for us. URI is a diverse, world class university. We are so excited to be a part of it in every way.
“URI is synonymous with success on the basketball court. It hasn’t been just one coach. It has been several who have led this program into March Madness. Jim Harrick, Al Skinner, Tom Penders, and most recently Dan Hurley all had their runs. I want to credit David Cox as well. He was the head coach, but also a pivotal part of the last two teams that went and advanced in back-to-back NCAA tournaments.”
Nationally ranked during three of his six seasons at Dayton, Miller won A-10 titles in 2016 and 2017, earning conference Coach of the Year honors in the latter. He led the Flyers to four straight NCAA appearances from 2014-17, including a run to the Elite 8 in 2014. Miller also reached the NIT with Dayton in 2012 and with Indiana in 2019, when the Hoosiers reached the quarterfinals.
Miller has six 20-win campaigns in his 10 years as a head coach and was a 2015 finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award.
“I want our Rams fan base to know we are going to do things a certain way on and off the court,” Miller said. “In transition it doesn’t always take off smooth WE will IMPROVE… WE will be good again… and then WE will be REALLY GOOD! Honoring the process takes time, but we will be relentless in our quest to develop an identity that all of New England will be PROUD of.”
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