Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller met with the media Thursday to decry an ESPN report that linked him with potential payments to a recruit. Arizona Athletics
Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller had remained virtually silent since an ESPN report was published last week linking Miller to an FBI investigation into NCAA recruiting.
But Miller offered a full-throated defense of his reputation and his program - and said he intends to coach the Wildcats again - when he met Thursday with the media for the first time since the report was published.
Miller called elements of the report “false and defamatory.”
Miller stepped away from the Wildcats – allowing an assistant to coach Arizona in a loss at Oregon and skipping practice this week – after the ESPN report was published Friday alleging that Miller was captured on a recorded phone call discussing a $100,000 payment for star freshman Deandre Ayton.
"Let me be very very clear: I have never discussed with Christian Dawkins paying Deandre Ayton to attend the University of Arizona," Miller said Thursday. "In fact, I never even met or spoke to Christian Dawkins until after Deandre publicly announced he was coming to our school. Any reporting to the contrary is innaccurate, false and defamatory."
ESPN has twice corrected some details in the report, including the timeline, but the network has not backed away from the idea that Miller engaged in a conversation with a sports agent or their representative about providing a $100,000 payment for Ayton to come to Tucson.
"These statements have damaged me, my family, the university, Deandre Ayton and his incredible family," Miller said of the ESPN report.
Miller said he has done nothing wrong but that he regrets the negative attention focused on the Arizona basketball program.
Miller also said he had never knowingly violated NCAA rules, never paid a recruit or prospect to come to Arizona nor arranged or directed payments to a recruit, prospect or their representatives.
It was not immediately clear whether Miller would coach Arizona on Thursday night, when the team has a chance to clinch a share of the Pac-12 regular-season title against Stanford.
The Arizona Board of Regents was scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. Thursday to discuss Miller's situation, but the board members were not expected to take any action on Miller in the afternoon meeting in Phoenix.
But Miller left little doubt about his intentions to coach the Wildcats again.
“I appreciate more than anyone can realize Dr. Robbins and the university carefully considering this matter and acting upon facts, Miller said. “I have been completely open and transparent and I look forward to coaching this outstanding team as we seek to capture the Pac-12 regular season championship this week.”
UA president Robert C. Robbins said Wednesday the university was “still working on things” but offered few details. Athletic director Dave Heeke was supposed to join Robbins in a pro-am round of golf at Omni Tucson National on Wednesday but canceled.
The ESPN report received national media attention, although some other sports writers - and a member of the Arizona Board of Regents - have since questioned various aspects of the story.
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Miller in the ESPN report
ESPN reported Friday that FBI wiretaps captured Miller talking with sports agent Christian Dawkins, who is a key figure in the federal investigation, about paying $100,000 to ensure star player Deandre Ayton signed with the Wildcats.
When the sports agent asked Miller if he should work with assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson to finalize their agreement, Miller told the agent he should deal directly with him when it came to money, ESPN reported.
During Saturday's College GameDay, ESPN college-basketball analyst Jay Bilas called the report "a career-ending thing for Sean Miller. Career-ending. I can't imagine him ever coaching in college again."
The telephone conversations ESPN learned of were initially reported as occurring in 2017, which would have been after Ayton had signed a letter of intent to play with the Wildcats.
ESPN later corrected the timeline of telephone conversations to spring of 2016 and then 2016 generally.
The ESPN reporter who wrote the story, Mark Schlabach, did not respond to interview requests from The Arizona Republic on Wednesday.
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The Arizona Daily Star contributed to this report.
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