"I built some really good relationships with those kids," Eagan said. Miller posted an astounding 180-17 record over six years at her alma mater, Drury. Miller's competitive fire that made her a Division II third-team All-American in 2008 has translated to coaching. She also served as a head coach at NAIA St. Ambrose in Davenport, Iowa, from 2005-07. 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. 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. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. Thats going to be our goal and I think we can do it at GCU.. "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. In two seasons in Phoenix, Millers high-pressure defense and up-tempo offense has seen GCU rank nationally in steals per game and turnovers forced per game. 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. Drury announced Amy Eagan would be promoted to the head coaching position after she spent one year as an assistant coach. 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. 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. Molly Miller has been hired to replace Nicole Powell as Grand Canyon's women's basketball coach. 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 . 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. The Lady Panthers won their first 35 games before falling in the Division II NCAA Tournament semifinals. 1 team in the country. Head Coach Molly Miller (joined by Cy and Crosby) speaks with the media after GCU Women's Basketball defeats Seattle 80-64.Grand Canyon University, Arizonas premier, private Christian university, helps students find their purpose with next- generation education, including over 200 academic programs with over 150 online programs. Facebook gives people the power to. HomeBusiness NewsMolly Miller brings winningest college coaching record to GCU. 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). "She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. Head Coach Molly Miller (joined by Cy and Crosby) speaks with the media after GCU Women's Basketball defeats Seattle 80-64.Grand Canyon University, Arizona's. The competitive fire of a 2008 Division II third-team All-American has translated to coaching. Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. Years later, she became the school's head coach. 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. 224-34 (.868) 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. 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. We want to be one of the best teams in the nation. Visit gcu.edu The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. She challenges them on the court, invests in their lives off the court and keeps an open-door policy to form long-term relationships. "I'm super-competitive," Miller said. Miller and her husband, Derek, are raising a 3-year-old daughter, Crosby, and a 3-month-old son, Cy. 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. 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). From 2004 to 2008, Miller played at Drury as a 5-foot-6 point guard and four-year starter. Founded, monitored, and run by college coaches. "I love the relationship part of it. 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. READ ALSO:GCU freezes tuition for 13th year. Drury will also start '19-20 season with a 40-game . Her statement reveals Molly Miller took her own life, and now her family and friends are left asking why, saying "There was not a single sign that anything was wrong or bothering her.". At every step, she has been a determined winner. Im super-competitive, Miller said. Eagan played college basketball at Truman State and was a four-time all-conference selection in the MIAA. The Molly Miller coaching debut for Grand Canyon women's basketball will not come until the fall but the Lopes' new head coach has no problem describing what fans will see on the court and the sideline. "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. In turn, her teams have played uptempo, player-predicated motion offense that averaged 90.2 points per game this season. On the heels of Mother's Day, GCU Women's Basketball Head Coach Molly Miller shares a glimpse inside her family. Miller maintained Drury's tradition upon becoming head coach at age 28 and she ascended the program to reach the 2019 Division II Final Four and post a 32-0 record in 2019-20, when the Panthers were ranked No. Her Drury teams as a player went 112-18 (.862). 2023 Western Athletic Conference. "Jinx" averaged 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists in 923 games for six teams. Drury Lady Panthers:All Molly Miller did in Springfield was win. 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. 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. Miller enters the 2022-23 season with an .866 winning percentage, second highest among active Division I head coaches, .19 behind UConns Geno Auriemma. 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. In her Drury playing career, her teams went 112-18 (.862). Miller enters the 2022-23 season with an .866 winning percentage, second highest among active Division I head coaches, .19 behind UConns Geno Auriemma. 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, . Grand Canyon University head coach Molly Miller joins the Basketball Podcast to discuss full-court pressure and playing uptempo.Miller holds the highest care. Both Mueller and Boggs raved about Millers character and leadership upon hiring her last year, and it already shows during her short time here in the Valley. She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (407). She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (409). A year later, Bray had to use that list but he didn't have to look far. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Getting to know the kids outside of just basketball I just think those things are really, really important. 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. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Her ability to draw crowds and excite fans certainly bodes well for her at GCU, considering it has one of the most celebrated student sections in all of college basketball. 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). "This was a place that I felt like I could take my career if she happened to leave. Arizona Republic. "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. She goes on to say, "Molly is a light shining forever," and there are plans for a . 17, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Dec. 10, WAC Basketball Tournament All-Session Tickets On Sale Now, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Dec. 3, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Nov. 26, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Nov. 19, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Nov. 12, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Nov. 4, WAC Announces Basketball Preview Show, Spotlight Game Schedules, WAC Media Select NM State, Mattingly as Preseason Favorites, WAC Coaches Select NM State, Pack as Preseason Favorites. The two have not been since since. 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. She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (409). Join Facebook to connect with Molly Miller and others you may know. Miller maintained Drury's tradition upon becoming head coach at age 28 and she ascended the program to reach the 2019 Division II Final Four and post a 32-0 record in 2019-20, when the Panthers were ranked No. She and her husband Derek share a little about what it's like to balance. Miller and her husband, Derek, are raising a 3-year-old daughter, Crosby, and a 3-month-old son, Cy. Play Index. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. In her final season at Truman State, the Bulldogs finished with a 23-8 record marking the program's best season in 47 years. Now it's time for her to win somewhere else. Bray started to gather a shortlistjust in case someone hired Miller away. In her Drury playing career, her teams went 112-18 (.862). "We will have to give each other virtual hugs for now, but soon we'll be high-fiving each other on the court after a Lopes win," Miller said. Miller was also named the national coach of the year and her name was already floating around for Division I openings. "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 AthleticsJamie Boggssaid. 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. I have had the privilege to get to know President Mueller and the athletic director, Jamie Boggs, in the recent days, and the enthusiasm of these incredible leaders certainly helped solidify my decision, Miller said. Upon her hiring at Drury, she still ranked fourth all-time in scoring and was the program's career leader in assists, steals and free throws made. Copyright 2023 AZ Big Media | All Rights Reserved | Site by Blufish, PNC survey shows small business owners see bright future, Ranking Arizona: Top 10 mechanical contractors for 2023, Goodyear takes next steps to make new downtown a reality. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. She will enter the 2019-20 owning the best winning percentage among head coaches in all of NCAA-II women's basketball. 0:04 0:33 Molly Miller has known two things her entire basketball career: winning and doing it in Springfield. "Given the unbelievable success Coach Miller has experienced on the basketball court, we are incredibly excited about the future of the women's basketball program," GCU President Brian Mueller said. Millers competitive fire that made her a Division II third-team All-American in 2008 has translated to coaching. She already was mastering 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). Drury won by 27.9 points per game in 2018-19 and 28.5 per game in 2019-20. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. We cannot wait for her and her family to arrive in Phoenix and join the GCU community." Miller left Drury with a career record of 180-17 and her .914 winning percentage is the best mark in program history and leads all active women's basketball coaches at all levels of the NCAA. "With the resources and the excitement behind the athletic program and specifically the women's basketball program, there's real momentum there.