View Comments. 1 every week in the Division II poll. Molly MillerCoach 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 Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said of Miller's hiring. 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. Off the court, Miller preaches about the importance of culture and comradery. In July of 2013, Molly Miller and Colton Haynes were passengers in a car chase with police when the driver allegedly turned onto a dead-end Oklahoma road. 8h A special thank you message to our Havocs, cheerleaders, dance team and band Your support means the world to us, and to the seniors of these groups, best of luck on your future endeavors! With the resources and the excitement behind the athletic program and specifically the womens basketball program, theres real momentum there. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. We want to be one of the best teams in the nation. Before joining Drury, Eagan had a successful six-year stint as the head coach at Truman State. 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. Miller led Kickapoo High School to a state championship. New GCU women's basketball coach Molly Miller expects championships Molly Miller: Drury Lady Panther coach leaves for Grand Canyon 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). 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 and the Lopes have earned back-to-back appearances in the WAC Tournament championship game as she finished 22-10 overall and 14-4 in WAC play in 2021-22. She will enter the 2019-20 owning the best winning percentage among head coaches in all of NCAA-II women's basketball. Drury won by 27.9 points per game in 2018-19 and 28.5 per game in 2019-20. And at Drury, her teams led the nation in scoring margin her final two seasons, winning by 27.9 and 28.5 points per game, respectively. At GCU, Miller has compiled a 40-17 (.702) overall record and a 22-8 (.733) conference mark while solidifying GCU Arena as one of the toughest places to play with a 24-4 (.857) record at home. Miller and the Lopes have earned back-to-back appearances in the WAC Tournament championship game as she finished 22-10 overall and 14-4 in WAC play in 2021-22. 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. Drury. Over her six-year Drury career, Miller is 128-8. Molly Miller named Coach of the Year | KOLR - OzarksFirst.com If an undefeated mark does not state Drurys 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. She took a pay cut to return to Drury as an assistant coach for two seasons before being elevated to interim head coach, a title that lost the interim tag after a 7-2 start. Arizona Republic. I am thrilled coach Eagan will be taking the helm at Drury, and I sincerely wish her the best of luck. 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. 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. 2023 www.news-leader.com. Molly Miller College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com 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. The Basketball Podcast: EP186 with Molly Miller on Pressing - YouTube Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. "I look forward to a seamless transition for our basketball program and the fun journey that lies ahead for our university, our players, our fans and our community." On the court, Coach Miller is all about pressure defense. When you work hard and strive for great things and you're a good person, you want to achieve great things and that's what you can do with the support here and the resources here.". Just before becoming the head coach at Truman State, she was the head coach at Ashford and took a team that won just four games in her first season to a near .500-record the next year. Molly Miller - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more . In the midst of global chaos, Grand Canyon University made a tremendous hire that might have been overshadowed by the events of 2020. 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. She grew up in Springfield, Missouri, as Molly Carter and played at Kickapoo High School and Drury University in her hometown. 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. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. The virtuosic Molly Miller on her magical 335 and guitar becoming a 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. She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. Miller and her husband, Derek, have two children, Crosby and Cy. This exciting style of basketball led Drury to the third-highest average attendance (1,768) in Division II during her final season, despite only having 1,500 undergraduate students on campus and competing with crosstown rivals Missouri State. READ ALSO:GCU freezes tuition for 13th year. Grand Canyon University head coach Molly Miller joins the Basketball Podcast to discuss full-court pressure and playing uptempo.Miller holds the highest care. In her final season at Truman State, the Bulldogs finished with a 23-8 record marking the program's best season in 47 years. She challenges them on the court, invests in their lives off the court and keeps an open-door policy to form long-term relationships. Miller is joined in Phoenix by her. 580 following. She accepted the position in April at the Division I school. GCU President Brian Mueller and Athletic Director Jamie Boggs tapped former Drury University head coach Molly Miller to take over the GCU womens basketball program on April 7, 2020. Make a Gift (Basketball Benefits Included), TicketSmarter - Official Ticket Resale Partner, 5 NCAA-II tournaments, 4GLVCchampionships, Note- no divisional play in the GLVC in 2018-19. 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). https://gculopes.com/news/2020/4/7/womens-basketball-miller-takes-gcu-helm-as-elite-winner.aspx. Her teams were top-5 in the nation in five different defensive statistical categories. Passion. UNLV 77, Duke 79, Kentucky 103, Duke 104, Notre Dame 91, UConn 89, Texas A&M 63, Stanford 62. Molly Miller hired to replace Nicole Powell as GCU women's coach All the while, she has put an emphasis on her players being students first, learning life skills and acting as community stewards. 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. A year later, Bray had to use that list but he didn't have to look far. 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. Miller's competitive fire that made her a Division II third-team All-American in 2008 has translated to coaching. 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.". #LopesUp 0:43 1K views GCU Havocs and 3 others Coach Molly Miller Retweeted 1 every week in the Division II poll. She will enter the 2019-20 owning the best winning percentage among head coaches in all of NCAA-II women's basketball. 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. Coach Molly Miller (@MollyMiller33) / Twitter Molly Miller is in her sixth season as the Lady Panthers head coach. The competitive fire of a 2008 Division II third-team All-American has translated to coaching. 2020 40 Under 40: Molly Miller, 34 | Springfield Business Journal Before Jalen Rose worked at ESPN along with Molly Qerim and other sports analysts, he was a 13-year NBA veteran. 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"Her basketball record is nothing short of incredible but even more important is who she is as a person. She goes on to say, "Molly is a light shining forever," and there are plans for a . 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). Thursday, Marian McConnell released a statement via Facebook. That's going to be our goal and I think we can do it at GCU." The entertaining style and success have made Drury one of the top Division II draws, ranking third in attendance last season at 1,768 fans per game despite only having 1,500 undergraduate students on campus and competing for Ozarks basketball fans with Missouri State. Molly Miller | SicEm365 Miller builds program on, off court - Grand Canyon University Athletics She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. It was only a matter of time before she had to do it somewhere else. Her Panthers teams held a stunning 67-1 mark over her last two seasons at her hometown university in Springfield, Missouri. 1988 Men's NCAA, 2019 Women's NCAA, 1940 Men's NCAA, 2006 Women's NCAA, 1981 Men's NCAA. Miller departs Drury with a career record of 180-17. GCU offers new residence halls, amenities, academic buildings and state-of-the-art athletic facilities on campus, student support resources, dynamic online classrooms, innovative learning experiences and more. Drury has been ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. Now it's time for her to win somewhere else. We cannot wait for her and her family to arrive in Phoenix and join the GCU community.. Drury will also start '19-20 season with a 40-game . She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (409).