Fans react to the hiring of Archie Miller
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — There’s a new king of Assembly Hall. And while a lot of Hoosier fans don’t know much about the former Dayton head coach, some can’t wait for Archie Miller to get on campus.
“I think it’s a good hire. Frankly, Archie Miller has had a lot of success at Dayton,” said Mike McNamara. “He brought them to multiple tournament runs. He’s a proven winner.”
“It reminds me very much of when athletic director Bill Orwig hired a guy from Army who was here for 29 years,” said Carey Pittman.
Others remain skeptical. Miller only has six years of head coaching experience and doesn’t have the same name recognition as some basketball elites.
“Not super excited because I don’t think it’s the big name. But I think he’s a good coach. Which might be more important than being a big name,” said Brendan Sutherland.
“I wanted Billy Donovan. Tony Bennett was number two. But Archie Miller was definitely number three, he was up there,” said Matt Emerson.
But overall, Miller brings a breath of fresh air to Bloomington.
“I think we’re definitely really excited. I’ve been watching IU basketball for a long time. And I’ve pretty much only seen Tom Crean. So having some new perspective is going to be great,” said Eric Shapiro.
There’s a lot of excitement surrounding this hire. But there are some mixed emotions.
You can see from these signs outside of Assembly Hall, fans thanking former IU head coach Tom Crean. Some feel the school should have never let him go.
“You know, I wasn’t one of those Indiana fans who thought he should’ve absolutely been gone. I think Tom Crean is a pretty good coach,” said McNamara.
The views on Tom Crean’s legacy at Indiana vary, but one idea fans can agree upon? No more absences from the big dance.
“I think this is definitely a step in the right direction. Hopefully we can get some great recruits and reorganize the team,” said Shapiro.
The beginning of a new era. One that fans hope restores the glory at Assembly Hall.