Her .914 winning percentage at Drury was the top mark among active NCAA basketball coaches, regardless of gender or division. Her winning record as a player and a former head coach is impressive. View Comments. Miller just completed her fifth season as the Lady Panthers head coach and her teams have gone 148-17. Arizona Republic. Molly Miller Profiles | Facebook We cannot wait for her and her family to arrive in Phoenix and join the GCU community.. We will have to give each other virtual hugs for now, but soon well be high-fiving each other on the court after a Lopes win, Miller said. The Lopes were picked third in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll with two on the preseason All-Conference team. 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. PHOENIX, Ariz.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. 2020 40 Under 40: Molly Miller, 34 | Springfield Business Journal Her Panthers teams held a stunning 67-1 mark over her last two seasons at her hometown university in Springfield, Missouri. Miller led Kickapoo High School to a state championship. The Lopes were picked third in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll with two on the preseason All-Conference team. 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. She challenges them on the court, invests in their lives off the court and keeps an open-door policy to form long-term relationships. She inherits a team from Nicole Powell that went 15-12 . In her final season at Truman State, the Bulldogs finished with a 23-8 record marking the program's best season in 47 years. Millers competitive fire that made her a Division II third-team All-American in 2008 has translated to coaching. The Panthers have guarded opponents from baseline to baseline and led Division II with 30.8 turnovers forced per game this season. All Molly Miller did in Springfield was win. 2023 Western Athletic Conference. Miller enters the 2022-23 season with an .866 winning percentage, second highest among active Division I head coaches, .19 behind UConns Geno Auriemma. 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. The competitive fire of a 2008 Division II third-team All-American has translated to coaching. Episode 186: Molly Miller, Full-Court Pressure and Playing Uptempo. 1 for every week of the Division II poll up until the NCAA tournament cancellation. The Panthers have guarded opponents from baseline to baseline and led Division II with 30.8 turnovers forced per game this season. Sophomore transfer Aaliyah Collins was tabbed to the First Team after finishing third in the WAC in steals per game (2.52) in and fourth in steals (68) a season ago. DII women's basketball: Drury's Molly Miller named 2020 WBCA National She was also a hall of fame-worthy player at the program in addition to being a two-time state champion at Kickapoo. If an undefeated mark does not state Drury's 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. 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 accepted the position in April at the Division I school. Miller builds program on, off court - Grand Canyon University Athletics 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. 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. Molly Miller Post Game | Feb.27 vs Seattle - YouTube 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 and her husband, Derek, have two children, Crosby and Cy. 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. "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." 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. Molly Miller - Women's Basketball Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics Millers hustle-oriented teams defend with the intensity and trapping that was her trademark as a player. Im super-competitive, Miller said. "To this day, shes the most competitive person Ive ever been around, her Drury coach, now-George Mason head coach Nyla Milleson, once told the Springfield News-Leader. Join Facebook to connect with Molly Miller and others you may know. The 17-year-old girl's family is still searching for justice. We want to be one of the best teams in the nation. Molly Miller - Women's Basketball Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics The two-time Division II Coach of the Year ended her Drury career with the D-II national runner-up in 2019 and an undefeated, top-ranked 2020 team when the national tournament was canceled because of COVID-19. She also served as a head coach at NAIA St. Ambrose in Davenport, Iowa, from 2005-07. Miller and her husband, Derek, are raising a 3-year-old daughter, Crosby, and a 3-month-old son, Cy. 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. Facebook gives people the power to. On the heels of Mother's Day, GCU Women's Basketball Head Coach Molly Miller shares a glimpse inside her family. Courtesy Paul Coro, Grand Canyon Athletic Communications. Molly Miller (@coach_mollymiller) Instagram photos and videos Veteran forward Tiarra Brown, who enters her junior season and third under Miller, was selected to the Second Team and returns as the leading scorer for the Lopes with 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 2021-22. Miller took over the Division 1 program at Grand Canyon in 2020. Molly Miller exits Drury with a career record of 180-17, By: Ed Beach, Assistant AD for External Affairs/Media Relations, Make a Gift (Basketball Benefits Included), TicketSmarter - Official Ticket Resale Partner, Molly Miller's letter to the Drury Community, Link to Grand Canyon University news release, Lady Panthers escape quarterfinals scare from Quincy, Top seeded Lady Panthers open GLVC Tournament vs Quincy, Thur., 6 pm, Amy Eagan named GLVC Coach of the Year; Moore is Defensive Player of the Year; Schaaf named Freshman of the Year; four selected as All-GLVC, Lady Panthers remain at number two in national poll, .914 winning percentage leads all of NCAA women's basketball, Led the team to 54 straight home wins (2016-current), the second-longest home-court winning streak in NCAA-II, Was 55-0 at home in the GLVC during her career, NCAA-II Coach of the Year (WBCA) 2020 and 2019, 2020 NCAA-II Coach of the Year (World Exposure Report), 2020 NCAA-II Coach of the Year (HoopDirt.com), Number One national ranking for all 16 weeks of the NCAA-II coaches' poll, Nationally ranked in the NCAA-II Top 25 for 111 straight weeks, the longest such streak in the nation, and ranked in the Top 10 for 48 consecutive weeks, Won five GLVC championships in her six years (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020), Won six GLVC regular season titles (West Division in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018; finished first as a one-division league in 2019 and 2020), Made NCAA-II tournament in all six of seasons (advanced to regional finals in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019), Advanced to NCAA-II national semifinals in 2019, Coached the NCAA-II Player of the Year twice (, Had 19 players named All-GLVC, with 12 players named First Team All-GLVC, Had one GLVC Player of the Year (Hailey Diestlkamp, 2020), Had two GLVC Freshman of the Year winners (, Had three named GLVC Defensive Player of the Year (, Inducted into Drury Sports Hall of Fame, 2012. In her spare time, she loved to read and write. "I am very excited," Eagan said during a Zoom press conference with members of the media. Just before becoming the head coach at Truman State, she was the head coach at Ashford and took a team that won just four games in her first season to a near .500-record the next year. 1988 Men's NCAA, 2019 Women's NCAA, 1940 Men's NCAA, 2006 Women's NCAA, 1981 Men's NCAA. 8h A special thank you message to our Havocs, cheerleaders, dance team and band Your support means the world to us, and to the seniors of these groups, best of luck on your future endeavors! Well have an exciting brand of basketball to play.. Play Index. Who is Molly Qerim's ex-husband, Jalen Rose? Exploring their The Drury womens basketball program is in great hands, and this alum couldnt be happier!. Before joining Drury, Eagan had a successful six-year stint as the head coach at Truman State. 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, . She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (407). Drury was ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. Grand Canyon University head coach Molly Miller joins the Basketball Podcast to discuss full-court pressure and playing uptempo.Miller holds the highest care. 1 every week in the Division II poll. Theres no doubt that Coach Miller is bringing a ton of excitement to the GCU athletic program, so if you havent been paying attention to Antelopes basketball, it might be time to jump on the bandwagon. 580 following. Player Season Finder . The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. All the while, she has put an emphasis on her players being students first, learning life skills and acting as community stewards. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. PHOENIX, Ariz. (KY3) - Grand Canyon University head basketball coach Molly Miller made her name 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. Molly Miller - Head Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics She will enter the 2019-20 owning the best winning percentage among head coaches in all of NCAA-II women's basketball. Founded, monitored, and run by college coaches. Drury won by 27.9 points per game in 2018-19 and 28.5 per game in 2019-20. Molly Miller | SicEm365 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. The car Miller and Haynes were riding in, a 2012 Honda Accord, was found totaled two weeks . The virtuosic Molly Miller on her magical 335 and guitar becoming a Now it's time for her to win somewhere else. Make a Gift (Basketball Benefits Included), TicketSmarter - Official Ticket Resale Partner, 5 NCAA-II tournaments, 4GLVCchampionships, Note- no divisional play in the GLVC in 2018-19. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. 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 on the side. SPRINGFIELD, Mo.. 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, won the Midwest Regional, and won their third-straight GLVC championship in 2018-19. Her teams were top-5 in the nation in five different defensive statistical categories. Molly Miller brings winningest college coaching record to GCU At GCU, Miller has compiled a 40-17 (.702) overall record and a 22-8 (.733) conference mark while solidifying GCU Arena as one of the toughest places to play with a 24-4 (.857) record at home. Features The virtuosic Molly Miller on her magical 335 and guitar becoming a 'choice' A revered session musician and educator who's worked alongside major artists like Jason Mraz amongst others, Miller is one of the most accomplished guitar players in the industry. Thats going to be our goal and I think we can do it at GCU.. 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). Molly Miller - Women's Basketball Coach - Grand Canyon University Athletics Now that you have a little background on Coach Miller, its time to get to know the person behind all that success. In her Drury playing career, her teams went 112-18 (.862). "Jinx" averaged 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists in 923 games for six teams. Drury has been a Division II power since Miller played there (2004-08) as a 5-foot-6 point guard who started for four seasons. Miller enters the 2022-23 season with an .866 winning percentage, second highest among active Division I head coaches, .19 behind UConns Geno Auriemma. A year later, Bray had to use that list but he didn't have to look far. Visit gcu.edu She challenges them on the court, invests in their lives off the court and keeps an open-door policy to form long-term relationships. Miller is joined in Phoenix by her. Her leadership capabilities and strong faith background make her an ideal representative of the University. 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. 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. I am thrilled coach Eagan will be taking the helm at Drury, and I sincerely wish her the best of luck. "To this day, shes the most competitive person Ive ever been around, her Drury coach, now-George Mason head coach Nyla Milleson, once told the Springfield News-Leader. She mastered 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). 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. The 2021-22 season concluded in the WNIT first round, the first WNIT berth for the Lopes in program history. Jody Adams-Birch takes over at New Mexico State, NM State will not renew the contract of WBB Head Coach Atkinson, OFFICIAL: Gottlieb added to Grand Canyon WBB staff, Graduate Assistant Lawrence Technological University, Head Womens Basketball Coach Defiance College, Head Womens Basketball Coach University of Wisconsin River Falls. College Basketball Scores. Miller and her husband, Derek, have two children, Crosby and Cy. 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. Make a Gift (Basketball Benefits Included), TicketSmarter - Official Ticket Resale Partner, 5 NCAA-II tournaments, 4GLVCchampionships, Note- no divisional play in the GLVC in 2018-19. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. The competitive fire of a 2008 Division II third-team All-American has translated to coaching. 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 . NCAA Tournament. 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. Member News 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. 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. Years later, she became the school's head coach. The moment it all started "I started playing guitar when I was seven years old. Passion. 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). 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 111-62. We'll have an exciting brand of basketball to play." "I thought for myself as I continued to look at my life and my career, there's not a better Division II in the country," Eagan said of her decision. 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. It was only a matter of time before she had to do it somewhere else. Before Jalen Rose worked at ESPN along with Molly Qerim and other sports analysts, he was a 13-year NBA veteran. GCU offers new residence halls, amenities, academic buildings and state-of-the-art athletic facilities on campus, student support resources, dynamic online classrooms, innovative learning experiences and more. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Miller is joined in Phoenix by her husband, Derek, and their two children, Crosby and Cy. "I have all the faith in the world that this will be a very easy transition for the program and the kids and that we can continue what we have done with the expectations for this program and then do those things even better.". Miller was quoted in the university's press release saying: Amy Eagan is a perfect fit to become the next head coach of the Drury University Lady Panthers. At every step, she has been a determined winner. https://gculopes.com/news/2020/4/7/womens-basketball-miller-takes-gcu-helm-as-elite-winner.aspx. I think we can make a big splash. 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. Molly Miller - Head Coach, Women's Basketball - Women's Basketball 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. From 2004 to 2008, Miller played at Drury as a 5-foot-6 point guard and four-year starter. She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (409). She guided Drury to the Division II Final Four last year and a 32-0 record this season, when she put the Panthers at No. 584 posts. 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She will enter the 2019-20 owning the best winning percentage among head coaches in all of NCAA-II women's basketball. "I love this game and everything that is has given to me so I want to give back to it and my players so they can find as much joy and love for the game," Miller said. 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. What Happened to Molly Miller and Colt Haynes? What We Know - Oprah Daily 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. During her final two seasons at Drury, her team went 67-1 including a perfect 32-0 season prior to the cancellation of the 2019-20 NCAA Tournament. She goes on to say, "Molly is a light shining forever," and there are plans for a .