Sean Miller agreed to arrange payments for Deandre Ayton and Rawle Alkins, according to former Arizona assistant coach Emanuel Richardson on a wiretapped phone call played in federal court this week.
If Miller is fired and Arizona cleans house, opting for an immediate outside hire instead of promoting an assistant coach (e.g. Mark Phelps and searching for a long-term replacement after next season), who might the Wildcats hire?
It’d be the first men’s basketball hire for third-year athletics director Dave Heeke, who arrived in Tucson just months before the college basketball corruption scandal dropped in September 2017. Heeke, a former longtime Central Michigan AD and Oregon associate AD, opted to retain Miller during the 2017-18 season despite an allegation Miller arranged player payments.
Dream candidates: Steve Kerr or Mark Few.
If Arizona can match — or at least come close — to Kerr’s $5-million annual salary and throw NBA-type perks at him, might he return to his alma mater? It’s a long shot, as is Mark Few, but they’re shots you must take.
Two other names with Arizona ties to throw at the wall: Another long shot in Milwaukee Bucks’ head coach and Arizona native Mike Budenholzer, and one realistic shot in Houston Rockets assistant and former Arizona assistant (and player) Matt Brase.
Thad Matta, Miller’s former boss at Xavier, is an obvious candidate for a historically successful program reeling from off-the-court issues. The 51-year-old steered clear of controversy in his 17 seasons as a head coach and is reportedly interested in returning to college basketball. However, Jeff Goodman noted on High Motor in March that Matta is a “different dude” who’d prefer the midwest and could be generating buzz just to collect buyout checks from the Buckeyes.
Pepperdine head coach — and former (albeit briefly) Miller assistant — Lorenzo Romar could be on a short list of veteran coaches, as could Greg McDermott, Gregg Marshall, Johnny Dawkin and Randy Bennett. Some of those coaches are in comfortable, well-paying jobs and have turned down other, arguably better opportunities but are still worth consideration.
And the long list of “Yeah…but shouldn’t Arizona aim higher?” mid-major coaches: Craig Smith (Utah State), Steve Forbes (East Tennessee State), Leon Rice (Boise State), Russell Turner (UC Irvine), Mike Rhoades (VCU), Travis DeCuire (Montana), Porter Moser (Loyola Chicago) and Matt McMahon (Murray State).
Eighteen potential candidates for Arizona if Sean Miller is fired: Steve Kerr, Mark Few, Mike Buldenholzer, Matt Brase, Thad Matta, Lorenzo Romar, Greg McDermott, Gregg Marshall, Johnny Dawkins, Randy Bennett, Craig Smith, Steve Forbes, Leon Rice, Russell Turner, Mike Rhoades, Travis DeCuire, Porter Moser, Matt McMahon.
