Wes Miller is going to have a long time to think about choking away a big lead in the Big 12 quarterfinals.
Cincinnati is firing the fifth-year head coach before the Bobcats are expected to miss the Big Dance in each of his seasons, according to ESPN.
Miller posted a 100-74 record in his five seasons, and he expressed optimism two days prior about the program’s future.
“I’m really proud of the work that we’ve done. We’re Cincinnati. We need to be in the NCAA Tournament. I understand that as much as anybody, but we are in the right direction of building something — we built something that I believe is now sustainable,” Miller told CBS after the loss. “So, I believe in everything we’re doing. I believe that over the last two month we’ve been one of the best teams in college basketball. And I think we can not just be better, but we can keep assembling.
“And so, my heart and soul is in this job and that work that we’re doing.”
It’s difficult to project whether this year’s Big 12 Tournament ultimately affected Miller’s job status, but it’s fair to wonder Wednesday’s choke in a 66-65 overtime loss to UCF sealed his fate.
The Bearcats (18-15) could hardly afford a questionable loss in hope of grabbing one of the last at-large berths and seemed on their way to the quarterfinals — and the potential for a great résumé win against top-seeded Arizona — when they grabbed a 12-point lead with 9:24 remaining.
They even led by eight with 2:17 left before they allowed an 8-0 run to tie the game at 58-58.
UCF took an early overtime lead and never looked back to oust the Bearcats.
Making matters worse for Miller, his team had the ball with the chance for a game-winning shot both at the end of regulation and overtime but ran uninspiring sets.
He made his case after the game for Cincinnati to be in the field of 68, but that likely will fall on deaf ears.
“I’m not in the room with the selection committee,” Miller said, per the Associated Press, “but if it’s about the best teams at this point, we’re one of the best teams in the country. Like, we’re an NCAA Tournament team. If it’s about overall resume, I’m sure you can make some arguments that we’re not. But I think we’ve won seven of our last 10 Big 12 games. When’s the last time somebody won seven out of 10 in the Big 12 and didn’t play in the NCAA Tournament? Honestly? Like, we won seven out of 10 in this league.”
Miller took over Cincinnati beginning with the 2021-22 season after a strong 10-year run with UNC Greensboro that included two NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Bearcats never produced a losing season under him, but they lost at least 13 games in each season.
He went 23 and 22 games, respectively, in is second and third seasons before dipping to 19 and 18, respectively, the last two years.
This job joins Syracuse, Providence and Arizona State among the power conference jobs open, with Kansas State having just filled its vacancy with Belmont coach Casey Alexander.
