Indiana hires Dayton's Archie Miller to replace Tom Crean

Dayton coach Archie Miller has been hired as men's head basketball coach at Indiana, it was announced Saturday.

Speculation turned to Miller after former Indiana star Steve Alford, head coach at UCLA, said on Friday night that he would not leave the Bruins and return to his alma mater.

"I am honored to be the head coach at Indiana University," Miller said Saturday in a statement. "IU is one of the greatest basketball programs and academic institutions in the country and I cannot wait to get started.

"With peerless fan support, outstanding facilities and tradition, a beautiful campus, and located in one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country, IU is a dream destination for me and my family."

ESPN reported Miller agreed to a seven-year deal to replace Tom Crean, who was fired by the Hoosiers on March 16 after nine seasons. A press conference is scheduled for Monday in Bloomington, Ind., to introduce Miller.

The 38-year-old Miller has a 139-63 record at Dayton, was selected 2017 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and has guided Dayton to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a spot in the 2014 Elite Eight.

"While there was great interest in this position, Archie Miller was on my short list from the very beginning," Indiana athletic director Fred Glass said in a statement. "The more I learned about him, the more convinced I became that he is the coach we need to meet our high expectations for many years to come. ...

"Archie is a proven leader, proven winner, proven recruiter, and a proven player developer with a defense-first mentality that will help us win championships. Perhaps most importantly, he understands and embraces the special stature of Indiana University basketball and the critical relationship it must have with its former players, Indiana high school players and programs, and the entire State of Indiana."

Miller, who was an assistant to Thad Matta at Ohio State, led Dayton to Atlantic 10 regular-season titles in each of the last two seasons, and did it this year even through standout forward Josh Cunningham missed much of the season because of injury.

Miller's father is a legendary high school coach in Pennsylvania, and his brother Sean is head coach at Arizona.