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Molly MillerCoach Miller is one of the winningest college head coaches in the country and a true leader who knows how to run a championship program, GCU Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said of Miller's hiring. The Molly Miller coaching debut for Grand Canyon women's basketball will not come until the fall but the Lopes' new head coach has no problem describing what fans will see on the court and the sideline. 3,319 followers. Copyright 2023 AZ Big Media | All Rights Reserved | Site by Blufish, PNC survey shows small business owners see bright future, Ranking Arizona: Top 10 mechanical contractors for 2023, Goodyear takes next steps to make new downtown a reality. Her teams were top-5 in the nation in five different defensive statistical categories. As head coach of the Drury Lady Panthers for six seasons, Miller compiled a 180-17 record - making her the winningest active coach with at least five years of experience - in all . Drury will also start '19-20 season with a 40-game . She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. The entertaining style and success have made Drury one of the top Division II draws, ranking third in attendance last season at 1,768 fans per game despite only having 1,500 undergraduate students on campus and competing for Ozarks basketball fans with Missouri State. Miller is considered the top NCAA Division II women's coach in the . Miller took over the Division 1 program at Grand Canyon in 2020. 0:04 0:33 Molly Miller has known two things her entire basketball career: winning and doing it in Springfield. The .914 winning percentage tops any active Division I, II or III mens or womens basketball head coach with at least five years of experience and includes a stunning 67-1 mark over the past two seasons. Arizona Republic. Her basketball record is nothing short of incredible but even more important is who she is as a person. Molly Miller's tenure as the Lady Panthers head coach saw another magical season under her leadership as Drury went 35-1, advanced to the NCAA-II national semifinals, . Getting to know the kids outside of just basketball I just think those things are really, really important. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Her leadership capabilities and strong faith background make her an ideal representative of the University. I am thrilled coach Eagan will be taking the helm at Drury, and I sincerely wish her the best of luck. Head Coach Molly Miller (joined by Cy and Crosby) speaks with the media after GCU Women's Basketball defeats Seattle 80-64.Grand Canyon University, Arizona's. In what could have been seen as a questionable decision led her to land the head coaching position as the head coach of the No. "I am very excited," Eagan said during a Zoom press conference with members of the media. Miller's hustle-oriented teams defend with the intensity and trapping that was her trademark as a player. In turn, her teams have played uptempo, player-predicated motion offense that averaged 90.2 points per game this season. At every step, she has been a determined winner. "Given the unbelievable success Coach Miller has experienced on the basketball court, we are incredibly excited about the future of the women's basketball program," GCU President Brian Mueller said. Growing up in Springfield as Molly Carter, she found her love of basketball at age 8 as a ball girl for national power Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State). We cannot wait for her and her family to arrive in Phoenix and join the GCU community.. She already was mastering dribbling and finishing with either hand and progressed into a player who won two state championships at Kickapoo High School, where her teams went 109-9 (.924). Drury ended the year with a number three national ranking after being ranked number one in the coaches' poll throughout the second half of the season. At every step, she has been a determined winner. Drury is coming off a 32-0 season that ended abruptly because of the NCAA Tournament's cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic. She took a pay cut to return to Drury as an assistant coach for two seasons before being elevated to Panthers interim head coach, a title that lost the "interim" tag after a 7-2 start. Given the unbelievable success Coach Miller has experienced on the basketball court, we are incredibly excited about the future of the womens basketball program, GCU President Brian Mueller said. But since Miller took over as head coach at age 28 in 2014, she pushed the Panthers to the best all-time winning percentage (.827) in Division II history. She was able to overcome adversity and utilize modern technology and other unorthodox recruiting techniques to help sell the dream of GCU womens basketball during her first offseason in Division I. Miller led Kickapoo High School to a state championship. In her first job, Miller spent four years as a marketing director for Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute, putting her master of business administration to use while giving basketball instruction to players on the side. She accepted the position in April at the Division I school. Her leadership capabilities and strong faith background make her an ideal representative of the University. If an undefeated mark does not state Drurys dominance under Miller enough, the Panthers also led Division II in scoring margin for her last two seasons there. Molly was an athlete in high school, participating in dance, basketball, and softball. She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (407). GCU named Miller, 34, as its new head coach Tuesday after she posted an astounding 180-17 record over the past six years at her alma mater, Drury Univeristy in Springfield, Missouri. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. "I look forward to a seamless transition for our basketball program and the fun journey that lies ahead for our university, our players, our fans and our community." It was only a matter of time before she had to do it somewhere else. When you work hard and strive for great things and you're a good person, you want to achieve great things and that's what you can do with the support here and the resources here.". "She was one of my biggest supporters and she really, really helped me through this process," Eagan said. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. The car Miller and Haynes were riding in, a 2012 Honda Accord, was found totaled two weeks . Miller enters the 2022-23 season with an .866 winning percentage, second highest among active Division I head coaches, .19 behind UConns Geno Auriemma. Miller left the Lady Panthers for Division I Grand Canyon on Wednesday, Drury announced Amy Eagan would be promoted to the head coaching position, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Under Miller, Drury became the first Great Lakes Valley Conference program to win four consecutive titles and went 105-5 in conference play (55-0 at home) over her six-year tenure. All rights reserved. Im excited to hit the ground running and meet those kids and love them like family. Years later, she became the school's head coach. "I built some really good relationships with those kids," Eagan said. On the heels of Mother's Day, GCU Women's Basketball Head Coach Molly Miller shares a glimpse inside her family. Her .914 winning percentage at Drury was the top mark among active NCAA basketball coaches, regardless of gender or division. "She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. The 2021-22 season concluded in the WNIT first round, the first WNIT berth for the Lopes in program history. Growing up in Springfield as Molly Carter, she found her love of basketball at age 8 as a ball girl for national power Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State). College Basketball Scores. 224-34 (.868) Molly Miller is leading the Grand Canyon women's basketball program for her third season as Lopes head coach after taking over the program on April 7, 2020. Miller and her husband, Derek, are raising a 3-year-old daughter, Crosby, and a 3-month-old son, Cy. The competitive fire of a 2008 Division II third-team All-American has translated to coaching. You can also sign up for his free "Bears Beat" newsletter by subscribing on News-Leader.com. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. Molly Miller is leading the Grand Canyon women's basketball program for her third season as Lopes head coach after taking over the program on April 7, 2020. Head Coach Molly Miller (joined by Cy and Crosby) speaks with the media after GCU Women's Basketball defeats Seattle 80-64.Grand Canyon University, Arizonas premier, private Christian university, helps students find their purpose with next- generation education, including over 200 academic programs with over 150 online programs. Drury announced Amy Eagan would be promoted to the head coaching position after she spent one year as an assistant coach. If an undefeated mark does not state Drurys dominance under Miller enough, the Panthers also led Division II in scoring margin for the past two seasons, winning by an average of 27.9 points per game in 2018-19 and an average of 28.5 points per game this season. She took a pay cut to return to Drury as an assistant coach for two seasons before being elevated to interim head coach, a title that lost the interim tag after a 7-2 start. The team that won its fourth-straight GLVC title just this past season got its wish. Grand Canyon's aspirations to rise in Division I women's basketball will be in the hands of new Lopes head coach Molly Miller, a two-time Division II Coach of the Year who leads all active college basketball coaches in winning percentage.. GCU named Miller, 34, as its new head coach Tuesday after she posted an astounding 180-17 record over the past six years at her alma mater, Drury . Molly Miller's tenure as the Lady Panthers head coach saw another magical season under her leadership as Drury went 35-1, advanced to the NCAA-II national semifinals, . Eagan's Truman State team won the Great Lakes Valley Conference title in her first season in 2013-14 and she finished her career as the program's all-time leader in coaching wins with a record of. Molly Miller Life is good Grand Canyon University Head Womens Bball Coach #lopesup . She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. Thats going to be our goal and I think we can do it at GCU.. Molly is a rising star, Womens Basketball Coaches Association Executive Director Danielle Donehew said after her peers gave her consecutive Division II Coach of the Year honors. The competitive fire of a 2008 Division II third-team All-American has translated to coaching. Eagan said she barely got the chance to talk to Miller as both start to settle into their new coaching roles. Drury was ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. If an undefeated mark does not state Drurys dominance under Miller enough, the Panthers also led Division II in scoring margin for her last two seasons there. In the midst of global chaos, Grand Canyon University made a tremendous hire that might have been overshadowed by the events of 2020. Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. Miller and the Lopes have earned back-to-back appearances in the WAC Tournament championship game as she finished 22-10 overall and 14-4 in WAC play in 2021-22. In two seasons in Phoenix, Millers high-pressure defense and up-tempo offense has seen GCU rank nationally in steals per game and turnovers forced per game. Over her six-year Drury career, Miller is 128-8. Off the court, Miller preaches about the importance of culture and comradery. NCAA Tournament. She took over as head coach at her alma mater in 2014 and led the program to historic heights amassing a 180-17 record over six seasons. Molly Miller is in her sixth season as the Lady Panthers head coach. Courtesy Paul Coro, Grand Canyon Athletic Communications. Grand Canyon's aspirations to rise in Division I women's basketball will be in the hands of new Lopes head coach Molly Miller, a two-time Division II Coach of the Year who leads all active college basketball coaches in winning percentage. 2019 Molly Miller is leading the Grand Canyon women's basketball program for her third season as Lopes head coach after taking over the program on April 7, 2020. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Miller enters the 2022-23 season with an .866 winning percentage, second highest among active Division I head coaches, .19 behind UConn's Geno Auriemma. "She carries herself with class and poise, and I was so proud to have her by my side last year. "Her basketball record is nothing short of incredible but even more important is who she is as a person. Her combined high school and college record as a player was 221-27. 580 following. The Drury womens basketball program is in great hands, and this alum couldnt be happier!. Miller posted an astounding 180-17 record over six years at her alma mater, Drury. Last month, Women's Basketball Coaches Association Executive Director Danielle Donehew called Miller "a rising star" after her peers named her the Division II Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year. Drury won by 27.9 points per game in 2018-19 and 28.5 per game in 2019-20. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. 12 Apr 2019 News Drury University women's basketball head coach Molly Miller has agreed to terms with the institution on a contract extension that will run through the 2021-22 season. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Upon her hiring at Drury, she still ranked fourth all-time in scoring and was the program's career leader in assists, steals and free throws made. #LopesUp 0:43 1K views GCU Havocs and 3 others Coach Molly Miller Retweeted On the court, Coach Miller is all about pressure defense. 2023 Western Athletic Conference. From 2004 to 2008, Miller played at Drury as a 5-foot-6 point guard and four-year starter. The Lady Panthers became the first team in GLVC history to win three league titles in a row and were the first team ever to go unbeaten during the regular season and win the conference tournament in the same year. Miller maintained Drury's tradition upon becoming head coach at age 28 and she ascended the program to reach the 2019 Division II Final Four and post a 32-0 record in 2019-20, when the Panthers were ranked No. Were going to be very family-oriented at GCU. I have had the privilege to get to know President Mueller and the athletic director, Jamie Boggs, in the recent days, and the enthusiasm of these incredible leaders certainly helped solidify my decision, Miller said. GCU named Miller, 34, as its new head coach Tuesday after she posted an astounding 180-17 record over . Drury has been ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. At every step, she has been a determined winner. With the resources and the excitement behind the athletic program and specifically the womens basketball program, theres real momentum there. In July of 2013, Molly Miller and Colton Haynes were passengers in a car chase with police when the driver allegedly turned onto a dead-end Oklahoma road. This year's team was 32-0, 20-0 in GLVC Conference play. She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. Miller and the Lopes have earned back-to-back appearances in the WAC Tournament championship game as she finished 22-10 overall and 14-4 in WAC play in 2021-22. Miller left Drury with a career record of 180-17 and her .914 winning percentage is the best mark in program history and leads all active women's basketball coaches at all levels of the NCAA. From 2004 to 2008, Miller played at Drury as a 5-foot-6 point guard and four-year starter. "With the resources and the excitement behind the athletic program and specifically the women's basketball program, there's real momentum there. 584 posts. And at Drury, her teams led the nation in scoring margin her final two seasons, winning by 27.9 and 28.5 points per game, respectively. Coach Miller is one of the winningest college head coaches in the country and a true leader who knows how to run a championship program, GCU Interim Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said. GCU womens basketball coach Molly Miller led the school to its first NIT appearance this season. Drury Athletics Director Corey Bray saw what Molly Miller did a year ago and he knew he needed to start looking for a successor. All Rights Reserved, 2023 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament, Lancers Down Lopes in Front of Sellout Crowd, Tennis set to open 2023 season versus Utah, Trip ends with 3-2 comeback win vs. No. In 2020-21, GCU ranked second nationally for steals (13.4 per game) and turnover margin (plus-8.4 per game) while also coming in fourth for turnovers forced (23.3 per game). "Coach Miller is one of the winningest college head coaches in the country and a true leader who knows how to run a championship program," GCU Interim Vice President of AthleticsJamie Boggssaid.