Draft:Michael Robert Miller

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Michael Robert Miller (born August 1, 1964) is an American basketball coach with professional, collegiate, and high school experience. Miller just finished his seventh year as the head basketball coach for University of Los Angeles College of Divinity (ULACD) following three years of service as CBA Commissioner and Head Coach[1][2].

He is probably best known for his record-breaking 16 years as Head Coach and Athletic Director at Los Angeles City College (LACC), where he was first to set a new national record of 14 straight conference championships[3]; later sharing this achievement with University of Kansas' Bill Self[4][5]. As to date, they are the only two coaches that have coached their teams to 14 straight conference championships in the history of college basketball[6].

Early Coaching Career[edit]

At sixteen, Miller began coaching youth basketball teams and at the local YMCA while still a student at Crescenta Valley High School. Graduating to assistant coaching, Miller began working with teams for Glendale Community College, La Canada High School, and Blair High School. Miller reported, “They didn’t take me seriously[7].” However, he was taken seriously by Dr. Charles Parcell the Principal at Blair HS in ’82, who watched Miller coach his son the previous two years at the YMCA. Later Miller was hired to be the youngest Head High School basketball coach in the state of California at Cathedral HS. With Miller’s hire, the Phantoms went on to a record of 43-11, capturing two Santa Fe League titles and record multiple playoff wins for the school for the first time in ten years[8]. Under Miller from 1987-89 the Phantoms had the most successful two-year period in the school’s sixty-five-year history.[9] After Cathedral HS Miller led Ribet Academy of LaCanada to two CIF Southern Section High School Championships where in the 1990-91 season, the “Fighting Frogs” won the first State Title in Division V for a Southern California team.[10]

Los Angeles City College (LACC)[edit]

From 1992 to 2008 Coach Miller coached Los Angeles City College’s men’s basketball team. He went on to become the winningest coach in every category in Los Angeles City College’s men’s basketball history, having won 400 games or 86% of all games while there. His record includes four straight 30+ win seasons (1999-2000 to 2002-03)[11]. Miller gained fame from 1997-2006 as the most winning college basketball coach in the country with the record of 241-38 games and an .864 winning percentage which exceeded all NCAA Division I programs, during the same time frame[1]. His accomplishments during his tenure at LACC include winning multiple state of California community college basketball championships (1997 and 2003) for the first time in LACC’s 72-year history[12].

His wins are not confined solely to the court, but embrace scholastic achievements as well. In addition to fourteen straight conference championships, and over 30 regular season tournament championships, 15 All-Americans, over 75 players named to all-conference teams, 15 All-state players, 14 straight conference MVPs, a school record of 117 wins in four years (1999-2003), eight appearances in the state final-8 and sixteen consecutive postseason play-off appearances; Miller established 100% graduation rate for his sophomore student athletes[12]. Miller is most proud of producing over 100 Division I Players for every major conference, which is thought to rank first in the entire nation during the same period of time[13][4].

University Los Angeles College of Divinity (ULACD)[edit]

Under head coach Michael Miller, ULACD posted the second-best record in the nation of any four-year college over the years 2018 to 2022 with the record of 105-8, and a winning percentage of 93%[1]. Only Northwest Missouri State an NCAA Division II exceeded them with a record of 126-8 (94%)[14]. ULACD achieved their best record (30-1) during the 2019-2020 season while winning the ACCA national championship; the only team to do so during the Covid year[15][14].

Recognition[edit]

Coach Mike Miller, was recognized by the California Basketball Association as the first and youngest coach in California history to win a state championship at both the high school (1990-91 Ribet Academy) and college levels (1996-97 & 2002-03 LACC)[3].

Named “Coach of the Year” eighteen times in his nineteen full seasons as a head coach both at high school and Junior College level, as well as coaching eight different teams to 30+ wins[2].

By the time he was forty-four years old coach Miller had almost 500 Junior College wins; more than any other coach in the history of college basketball at that age[2].

Miller made history as the first Head Coach to coach a high school state title (Ribet Academy 1990-91) Junior College State Title (LACC 1996-97 and 2002-03) and the National Title Team (ULACD 2019-20)[1][15].

Miller has served over 3 years as Commissioner of the CBA and has earned five college degrees[11].

  1. ^ a b c d Holden, Cindy (June 27, 2022). "University of Los Angeles College of Divinity (ULACD) Makes College Basketball History" (Press release). Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Association, California Basketball (2016-09-06). "Former Los Angeles City College Basketball Coach Mike Miller, Named Head Coach of CBA Expansion Team". Send2Press Newswire. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  3. ^ a b CBA, College Basketball Association (February 6, 2017). "Coach Michael "Mike" Miller Recognized As First Coach in California History to Win State Titles for High School and Community College". EnewsChannel.com. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  4. ^ a b MENAFN. "Coach Michael Miller and the University of Los Angeles College of Divinity Announces Jerron Wilbut Declares for the NBA Draft". menafn.com. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  5. ^ "Looking back at KU basketball's record 14-year Big 12 title streak". Kansas City Star. March 5, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  6. ^ Gotten, Valerie (2017-01-18). "Former LA City College Basketball Coach Michael Miller Hosts New TV Show 'Time Out with Coach Miller'". California Newswire (Press release). Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  7. ^ Crouse, Karen (January 21, 1989). "The Kid Can Coach". Los Angeles Herald Examiner.
  8. ^ Sciacca, Michael (February 10, 1988). "Shock! Phantoms Nip Whittier Christian". Los Angeles Daily News. pp. C2.
  9. ^ Smith, Charles (May 1, 1994). "Spring Is Miller Time at LACC". Los Angeles Times. p. 25.
  10. ^ Smith, Charles (January 22, 1995). "Great Expectations: LACC Coach Mike Miller Is a Tough and Successful Taskmaster". Los Angeles Times. p. 27.
  11. ^ a b Gotten, Valerie (September 6, 2016). "Mike Miller Named Head Coach of California Basketball Association Expansion Team". CaliforniaNewswire.com (Press release).
  12. ^ a b "Seal of the Senate of the State of California Resolution May 1, 1997" (State of California Senate Resolution Certificate of Achievement). May 1, 1997.
  13. ^ Gotten, Valerie (2017-01-18). "Former LA City College Basketball Coach Michael Miller Hosts New TV Show 'Time Out with Coach Miller'". California Newswire (Press release). Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  14. ^ a b Editors Staff (2022-09-11). "ULACD Creates Basketball Legacy in College". Totalprestige Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-16. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  15. ^ a b "BizWire Express > - University of Los Angeles College of Divinity Captures The First National Championship of March Madness". www.bizwireexpress.com. Retrieved 2024-05-16.