Dayton, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Dayton men's basketball coach Archie Miller has the Flyers in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years and has now received a contract extension.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the new pact will take Miller through the 2018-19 season.
The deal, according to the school's release, was actually agreed upon in February. Miller had asked the university to keep it quiet to avoid any distractions during the regular season.
"The University of Dayton is committed to a national-level basketball program, and this contract extension demonstrates our belief that Archie Miller is the right leader for our program," said Dayton athletic director Tim Wabler in a statement Monday. "We are proud of the academic and competitive success he has led over the last three years, and the momentum of the program is on the path we expect. We are extremely pleased to have Archie Miller has our head men's basketball coach."
Dayton beat a pair of powerhouse programs in its first two NCAA Tournament games this past weekend, first upending neighboring Ohio State before taking out Syracuse in the third round.
The victories came by a combined three points and sent the Flyers to the South Region semifinals on Thursday in Memphis against Stanford. Dayton last reached the Sweet 16 in 1984.
"We agreed to delay an announcement until after the regular season," Wabler added. "We respect the focus and attention (Miller) wanted to provide the team, not himself.
"But this weekend's success has created the probability that others would speculate on Archie's future. So instead of holding on to this announcement until after the season and letting that speculation begin, we felt making this announcement would eliminate some potential distraction as Archie, the players and his staff prepare for their trip to the Sweet 16."
Miller has a record of 62-37 in three years at Dayton, including 25-10 this season. His win total is already the fifth-highest in Dayton history
"It's a privilege to be the head coach at the University of Dayton," said Miller. "We are thrilled about our future. The University of Dayton has everything it needs to be among the best. We have great fans, a totally committed administration, and the key pieces are in place. My family and I appreciate what basketball means to the University of Dayton and the entire city. We're honored to be a part of it."
Miller, just 35 years old, is the younger brother of Arizona head coach Sean Miller. Archie spent two years on his brother's staff with the Wildcats before taking the job at Dayton and also held assistant coaching positions at Ohio State, Arizona State and North Carolina State.
[SportsNetwork.com]
