Indiana Fires Archie Miller After 4 Subpar Seasons

Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said "on-court results'' led to the firing of Hoosiers basketball coach Archie Miller on Monday after four mostly unsuccessful season.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana has decided to move on from basketball coach Archie Miller after four seasons where the Hoosiers never once played in the NCAA Tournament and never had a winning record in the Big Ten.

Scott Dolson, who is in his first year as Indiana's athletic director, released this statement through the school on Monday morning.

“As the Director of Athletics, I wanted to wait until the conclusion of the season before evaluating the leadership of our men’s basketball program. In the days following the completion of our season in the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, I have spent a great deal of time evaluating our recruiting, student-athlete development, leadership development, and playing philosophy and strategy. That review, combined with the on-court results, ultimately led me to conclude that a change in leadership of our program is warranted at this time. I shared my assessment with Indiana University President Michael McRobbie, and he accepted my recommendation.

"I want to thank Archie Miller, his staff, and their families for their service and commitment to IU and for his unwavering commitment to our student-athletes, the men’s basketball program and Indiana University. We wish Archie and his family all the best in the next steps of their journey.

"Given the university’s very tight financial situation in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, private philanthropic funding has been obtained for all transition costs and obligations related to the change in leadership. We worked to secure the necessary private support following my recommendation to President McRobbie, ensuring that there would be no charges to the university budget.

"Indiana Basketball has a long, rich history of success that dates back generations. Our five national championships and 22 Big Ten titles make us one of the most accomplished programs in college basketball history. I have high expectations for our program, and we have not competed at a level within the conference or nationally that I believe we should.

"While I will not establish a formal search committee, I will consult within the University and with trusted experts in the state and around the country as I seek out and recruit a new coach. The work to find the next leader of Indiana Basketball will begin immediately, and I will seek a chief executive that I can partner with to reestablish the brand and national presence of Indiana Basketball.”

Miller was hired to great fanfare in the spring of 2017, replacing Tom Crean, but he was never able to make an impact in the Big Ten or nationally, something that's required from a fan base and administration that is used to national championships. Indiana has five national titles overall but none since 1987.

Miller did have to deal with injuries throughout his career, but he still wasn't ever to post more than 20 victories. Miller went 67-58 in his four years after arriving fromDayton, where he reached an Elite Eight, made four NCAAs and won two league titles. That success never translated to Bloomington.

He recruited relatively well in Indiana, signing three straight Mr. Basketball winners -- Romeo Langford, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Anthony Leal -- but there were many other misses as well and recruiting has trended in the wrong direction in the past year and change. 

Miller’s termination comes with a $10.3 million, which Dolson said was covered by private donations and won't affect the athletic department's budget, which is self-sustaining and separate from the university. That total will be offset by any future income from Miller. 

This story will be updated

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• SCOTT DOLSON VIDEO: Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson met with the media Monday and explained why he fired Archie Miller, how tough the decision way, and his vision for the future. Watch all 26 minutes here. CLICK HERE
• AL DURHAM IN TRANSFER PORTAL: Al Durham has entered the transfer portal as a grad transfer. CLICK HERE
• PLAYERS REACT TO FIRING: Several Indiana basketball players past and present went to social media on Monday after Archie Miller's firing. CLICK HERE
• HOLTMANN, UNDERWOOD MAKE MILLER LOOK BAD: Just like Archie Miller, Ohio State's Chris Holtmann and Illinois' Brad Underwood were hired four years ago. And while they were playing for a Big Ten title, Miller was fighting for his job. CLICK HERE
• TOM BREW COLUMN (Feb. 20): It's time for Indiana to move on from Archie Miller, because this just isn't working. Here is Tom Brew's column from Feb. 20. CLICK HERE