BLOOMINGTON — Indiana University has fired men's basketball coach Archie Miller after four seasons in which the Hoosiers failed to advance to the NCAA tournament.
Miller joined IU before the 2017-18 season after a successful career at the University of Dayton, but he finished with a 67-58 record in Bloomington and went 33-44 against Big Ten opponents.
The Hoosiers have not played in the NCAA tournament since 2016, and while many believed Indiana would have made the 2020 tournament had it not been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, IU's drought is its longest since the late 1960s and early 1970s.
"Indiana Basketball has a long, rich history of success that dates back generations," IU athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement. "Our five national championships and 22 Big Ten titles make us one of the most accomplished programs in college basketball history. I have high expectations for our program, and we have not competed at a level within the conference or nationally that I believe we should."
Dolson said he waited until the end of the season before evaluating Miller's performance as basketball coach and added he consulted with IU President Michael McRobbie, who accepted his recommendation.
"In the days following the completion of our season in the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament, I have spent a great deal of time evaluating our recruiting, student-athlete development, leadership development, and playing philosophy and strategy," Dolson said. "That review, combined with the on-court results, ultimately led me to conclude that a change in leadership of our program is warranted at this time."
Dolson said "private philanthropic funding" will be used to pay the cost of Miller's buyout, which a USA Today database says is $10.35 million.
"We worked to secure the necessary private support following my recommendation to President McRobbie, ensuring that there would be no charges to the university budget," Dolson said.
IU will not establish a formal search committee to find its next men's basketball coach, Dolson said.
"I will consult within the University and with trusted experts in the state and around the country as I seek out and recruit a new coach," he said. "The work to find the next leader of Indiana Basketball will begin immediately, and I will seek a chief executive that I can partner with to reestablish the brand and national presence of Indiana Basketball."
