Former Arizona HC Sean Miller Agrees to Reported 6-year Contract with Xavier

Sean Miller is back at Xavier.

The former head coach of the Musketeers and Arizona Wildcats is returning to Xavier, the school announced on Saturday.

"Xavier is thrilled to welcome Sean Miller and his family back to Victory Parkway," vice president and director of athletics Greg Christopher said in a statement. "Sean is an elite college basketball coach and a proven winner who understands the expectations, traditions and values of Xavier and the Big East conference. He will bring a high level of energy and excitement to our program and he will do it the right way."

Miller reportedly will return on a six-year deal, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium, and chose the Musketeers over South Carolina.

Miller, 53, spent five seasons with Xavier between the 2004-05 and 2008-09 seasons, leading the team to a 120-47 overall record, three regular-season Atlantic 10 championships, one Atlantic 10 conference tournament championship, four NCAA tournament berths and a run to the Elite Eight in the 2006-07 campaign.

He then spent the next 12 seasons at Arizona, going 302-109 at the school with five regular-season Pac-12 championships, three conference tournament championships and seven NCAA tournament berths.

His time at Arizona was controversial, however. Emanuel "Book" Richardson was arrested and pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery as part of a federal investigation into college basketball corruption.

In a taped conversation obtained by federal investigators, Richardson told agent Christian Dawkins that Miller was paying former Wildcats center Deandre Ayton—now an NBA player with the Phoenix Suns—$10,000 to attend Arizona.

Miller denied all accusations of paying players. But Arizona imposed a postseason ban in the 2020-21 season and fired Miller in April 2021 after the school and coach couldn't agree on a contract extension. He spent the past year away from college basketball.

He'll replace Travis Steele at Xavier, who went just 70-50 in four seasons and failed to reach the NCAA tournament. He'll return to a school now in the tougher Big East, where it's played since the 2013-14 season. Xavier has won one Big East regular-season title and no conference tournament titles since making the switch.