Former Eastern Illinois Head Coach Mike Miller joined the Highlanders Men's Basketball Team as an assistant coach on June 4, 2012.
This is Miller's third stint alongside UC Riverside Head Men's Basketball Coach Jim Wooldridge, as the pair previously coached together at Kansas State and Texas State. Miller joined Wooldridge's staff at TSU in 1992, taking over the program in 1994 when Wooldridge accepted the head coaching position at Louisiana Tech.
After two Southland Conference regular season titles, one conference tournament championship—which included a trip to the 1997 NCAA Tournament—and 87 wins over six seasons, Miller rejoined Wooldridge as an assistant at Kansas State where he remained for five years.
Miller was named head coach at Eastern Illinois prior to the 2005-06 season. Before his arrival, the squad hadn't posted a winning season since 2001, but in the 2010-11 campaign, the Panthers finished 19-12, winning eight straight games to close the season before falling to Murray State in the OVC Tournament semifinals. The 19 wins marked the third highest win total in the Division I history of the program while eight straight wins set the school Division I record for consecutive victories.
His seven years at EIU produced two Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year (Romain Martin, 2006-07; Mike Robinson, 2005-06), two OVC All-Newcomer Team honorees (James Hollowell, 2009-10; TJ Marion, 2008-09) and the team's first first-team all-conference award winner (Tyler Laser, 2009-10) since the 2002-03 campaign.
In all, 18 players under Miller's tuteledge have played professionally including Jeff Foster (Indiana Pacers), Cartier Martin (Washington Wizards) and Larry Reid (Los Angeles Clippers).
During his tenure at Kansas State, Miller helped the team improve from an 11-18 record his first season to a 17-12 mark in 2004-05. That season the Wildcats started three sophomores and a true freshman, and had six wins over teams that advanced to post season tournaments.
Miller's recruiting classes have routinely been ranked among the best in the nation, as Kansas State boasted three straight Top 25 classes as named by Hoop Scoop magazine including the 2002 class which was rated No. 1 in the country.
During his time with the Wildcats, 10 of 14 seniors who completed their eligibility earned degrees with five players earning Academic All-Big 12 honors.
His first full recruiting class at Eastern Illinois was rated the best in the Ohio Valley Conference and in the top 100 nationally. The Panthers 2008 recruiting class was raked 61st nationally by Hoop Scoop.
Prior to joining the staff at Kansas State, Miller helped Wooldridge revitalize the program at Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas State) during nine years of association with the program. He started as an assistant in 1991-92 as the Bobcats won only seven games. The team finished above .500 his second year on the staff and went 25-7 in 1993-94 during his third season setting a school record for wins and a spot in the 1994 NCAA Tournament.
The next season Miller was named the head coach at Texas State becoming the second youngest Division I head coach at the age of 29. Over the next six seasons as the Bobcats head man, Miller won two conference championships in 1997 and 1999 and finished second in 1998. The 1997 team advanced to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Southland Conference Tournament, Miller
winning SLC Coach of the Year honors.
Six players would earn Academic All-Southland Conference honors during his tenure. Miller’s teams led the Southland Conference in defense five of six seasons and ranked third in the NCAA in 1999 allowing opponents to shoot only 37.3 percent from the floor.
Miller also has assistant coaching stops at Sam Houston State in 1991 and Western Illinois in 1990.
A graduate of Monmouth (IL) High School, Miller played basketball at East Texas State. He was a member of the East Texas State team that won the 1984 Lone Star Conference championship. Miller graduated from East Texas State in 1987.
He and his wife, Kelly, have two sons, Matt (a former Eastern Illinois baseball player now playing professionally) and Joey.
