Every game during his career at Pitt they had to bring up his appearance on the Tonight Show. I couldn’t take that again,especially after dealing with Jamie Dixon was a child commercial star. https://images.app.goo.gl/w28ibRWQq2xPgbVK6
Remember Sean Miller wanted the job
- Thread starter Sean Miller Fan
- Start date
I think he was ready to come , like the deal was almost shook on. I don't see the issue, he got busted doing what 95% do , and Zona next coach will do the same
Pitt loves setting itself up for failure. Of course they wouldn't hire Miller. They went with a disaster named Jeff Capel III
And Heather Luke is pretty much a mess. Maybe if she's criticized for the stupid things she does she'll come out from hiding and explain her extensions for a mediocre football coach and a disaster of a men's basketball coach.
A reputable source on the pay board stated before Capel was hired that the GC nixed it. Then at the presser, Heather thanked the GC and you never see GC's mentioned at pressers. Another reputable poster, DT, said he was hearing Pitt was very serious about Miller. Then you had Filiponi, who obviously isnt the be all end all but he has SOME sources.
Is it a bit conspiracy theoryish? Sure but there's something there.
It's a conspiracy theory that everyone was lined up to hire the guy but the evil lawyer told them no and that was the end of the discussion.
The question for the lawyer is not "yes or no?" it is:
"would Pitt be financially burdened if he is criminally prosecuted or sanctioned by the NCAA while under contract?"
"is it likely that he will be sanctioned which would reflect poorly on his employer?"
"would investigations of Miller lead to potentially more scrutiny of other Pitt athletic programs?"
"would hiring Miller influence the perception of the Pitt athletic department by existing coaches or future candidates?"
The lawyer would provide a recommendation in the context that the AD or whoever is asking those questions. Were they legally permitted to hire Miller? Yes, absolutely. He's not incarcerated. He's not on a terrorist watchlist. He's not a citizen of Cuba or Iran. It isn't a matter of legality, it is a matter of PR.
Remember that Richie Walsh said his sources were telling him Miller was going to be the coach after Dixon left. I had very good sources at the time telling me the exact same thing. I learned later that those sources had very bad information. I did hear three years ago about Miller, but know I don't know if that's true at all in retrospect.
Over time, I don't respect Paul Ziese's take on things as much as I once might have. But he did once offer a truism that has stuck with me: "When it comes to coaching searches just know that everyone is lying."
If you get me proof that Pitt's General Counsel had final hiring authority for the Men's Basketball Head Coach I will quit following Pitt sports forever. Ironclad. I will toss every piece of Pitt merch and I have an permanently delete my 15 year old account.
Pitt's GC does not have final hiring authority. She offered her legal opinion/analysis and Heather felt Miller wasnt worth the risk to the program and her career. Capel was a much safer (and at the time, very popular) pick.
You’ll be safe
There is no proof because it doesn’t exist
Absolutely. The GC gave a negative opinion. Heather was still free to hire him but felt he wasn't worth the risk.
I don't know what is so unbelievable to you about this. Do I know this is 100% true? No but when you have a reputable pay board poster + DT + Filiponi + Heather publicly thanking the GC, it has to be at least somewhat believable to you.
Also, while we're at it. Cal wanted the job after Howland.
These are completely different things. You're literally saying "the GC stopped it" and then when I challenge you on that you say something entirely different, in fact, you parrot my take all along which was "the GC RECOMMENDED that Miller not be hired." Those are wholly distinct theories. You can't have it both ways. I'm fine with you talking out of your bum since that's your schtick and I wouldn't want to take it from you, but stop acting like I'm the one who doesn't understand something when you're spouting off two completely different theories.
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I get very little team info, but I have a former colleague who has a good friend on the BOT. There is no chance a Miller was ever going to coach Pitt. Zero. You can all just stop this nonsense.
It's all media teaser because the marks suck it up.
It's all media teaser because the marks suck it up.
You know what I meant. I kinda know that lawyers don't make business decisions. They provide legal advice but in this case, Heather, being a young AD wasnt going to go against the legal opinion.
You're describing literally any hiring decision. Were there zero risks or hesitation in hiring Stallings or Dixon or Howland? You weigh all the opinions and facts and have to overrule some to ever reach a conclusion.
I'm sure there were some negative legal opinions before Pitino, Kelvin Sampson, or Bruce Pearl were hired also, but those ADs or hiring committees gathered all the data and overruled them.
I am pretty sure there would have been legal inputs that firing Stallings for cause was a pretty risky course of action too, but Lyke certainly didn't seem to care about that one. She wanted him gone and they risked that he could take them to court and potentially win millions of dollars.
Like I said, it is a conspiracy theory to shift blame away from the people who actually made the final decision.
I don’t think it was ever a discussion
The closest it may have been was a proposed pool of candidates she was going to contact
And perhaps she mentioned sean as a potential candidate and they said don’t bother .
there was no contact and no offer to approve
Miller is not the coach at Pitt. That's all anyone knows.
There’s no way to know that. Assume She does her due diligence. She could have been all for hiring Miller or dead set against it before talking to the legal team. But it’s incumbent upon her to cast a net and collect all info to make an informed decision.
