If an undefeated mark does not state Drurys dominance under Miller enough, the Panthers also led Division II in scoring margin for her last two seasons there. Last month, Women's Basketball Coaches Association Executive Director Danielle Donehew called Miller "a rising star" after her peers named her the Division II Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year. "We will have to give each other virtual hugs for now, but soon we'll be high-fiving each other on the court after a Lopes win," Miller said. Drury ended the year with a number three national ranking after being ranked number one in the coaches' poll throughout the second half of the season. ATLANTA Molly Miller, head coach at Drury University, has been named the 2020 United States Marine Corps/WBCA NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year, the Women's Basketball Coaches . "She was one of my biggest supporters and she really, really helped me through this process," Eagan said. Drury has been ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Her Panthers teams held a stunning 67-1 mark over her last two seasons at her hometown university in Springfield, Missouri. "I built some really good relationships with those kids," Eagan said. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. This year's team was 32-0, 20-0 in GLVC Conference play. We cannot wait for her and her family to arrive in Phoenix and join the GCU community.. In her first job, Miller spent four years as a marketing director for Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute, putting her master of business administration to use while giving basketball instruction on the side. In this week's coaching conversation, Grand Canyon University head coach Molly Miller joins the Basketball Podcast to discuss full-court pressure and playing uptempo. From 2004 to 2008, Miller played at Drury as a 5-foot-6 point guard and four-year starter. It was only a matter of time before she had to do it somewhere else. Molly Miller has been hired to replace Nicole Powell as Grand Canyon's women's basketball coach. She inherits a team from Nicole Powell that went 15-12 . Drury Lady Panthers:All Molly Miller did in Springfield was win. Miller was also named the national coach of the year and her name was already floating around for Division I openings. Arizona Republic. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Courtesy Paul Coro, Grand Canyon Athletic Communications. She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (409). Miller and her husband, Derek, are raising a 3-year-old daughter, Crosby, and a 3-month-old son, Cy. Miller left the Lady Panthers for Division I Grand Canyon on Wednesday and it took just five days for Drury to find her replacement. 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 Univeristy in Springfield, Missouri. Miller is joined in Phoenix by her. 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. If you havent heard about GCUs new womens basketball coach yet, then here is a summary of her resume. The Lady Panthers became the first team in GLVC history to win three league titles in a row and were the first team ever to go unbeaten during the regular season and win the conference tournament in the same year. Years later, she became the school's head coach. 2023 Western Athletic Conference. Miller and her husband, Derek, have two children, Crosby and Cy. Her leadership capabilities and strong faith background make her an ideal representative of the University. Miller is joined in Phoenix by her husband, Derek, and their two children, Crosby and Cy. She grew up in Springfield, Missouri, as Molly Carter and played at Kickapoo High School and Drury University in her hometown. 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. The .914 winning percentage tops any active Division I, II or III men's or women's basketball head coach with at least five years of experience and includes a stunning 67-1 mark over the past two seasons. 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. During her final two seasons at Drury, her team went 67-1 including a perfect 32-0 season prior to the cancellation of the 2019-20 NCAA Tournament. Drury will also start '19-20 season with a 40-game . "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. "To this day, shes the most competitive person Ive ever been around, her Drury coach, now-George Mason head coach Nyla Milleson, once told the Springfield News-Leader. On the court, Coach Miller is all about pressure defense. Episode 186: Molly Miller, Full-Court Pressure and Playing Uptempo. In the midst of global chaos, Grand Canyon University made a tremendous hire that might have been overshadowed by the events of 2020. Instead of continuing on as the Truman State head coach, she decided to leave to become an assistant at Drury. Grand Canyons aspirations to rise in Division I womens 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. She challenges them on the court, invests in their lives off the court and keeps an open-door policy to form long-term relationships. GCU finished third in the country in steals per game (12.6), steals (404) and 10th in turnovers forced (21.72) a season ago. 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. "She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. In 2020-21, GCU ranked second nationally for steals (13.4 per game) and turnover margin (plus-8.4 per game) while also coming in fourth for turnovers forced (23.3 per game). Drury was ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. Coach 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 Interim Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said. She took a pay cut to return to Drury as an assistant coach for two seasons before being elevated to Panthers interim head coach, a title that lost the interim tag after a 7-2 start. We want to be one of the best teams in the nation. Given the unbelievable success Coach Miller has experienced on the basketball court, we are incredibly excited about the future of the womens basketball program, GCU President Brian Mueller said at the time of her hiring. 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. College Basketball Scores. Miller departs Drury with a career record of 180-17. 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. Millers competitive fire that made her a Division II third-team All-American in 2008 has translated to coaching. Miller enters the 2022-23 season with an .866 winning percentage, second highest among active Division I head coaches, .19 behind UConns Geno Auriemma. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. The Panthers have guarded opponents from baseline to baseline and led Division II with 30.8 turnovers forced per game this season. View the profiles of people named Molly Miller. 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. Were going to be very family-oriented at GCU. Molly is a rising star, Womens Basketball Coaches Association Executive Director Danielle Donehew said after her peers gave her consecutive Division II Coach of the Year honors. 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. She mastered 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). We'll have an exciting brand of basketball to play." In her final season at Truman State, the Bulldogs finished with a 23-8 record marking the program's best season in 47 years. Molly Miller's tenure as the Lady Panthers head coach saw another magical season under her leadership as Drury went 35-1, advanced to the NCAA-II national semifinals, . "I'm super-competitive," Miller said. The competitive fire of a 2008 Division II third-team All-American has translated to coaching. 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). Her leadership capabilities and strong faith background make her an ideal representative of the University." Jody Adams-Birch takes over at New Mexico State, NM State will not renew the contract of WBB Head Coach Atkinson, OFFICIAL: Gottlieb added to Grand Canyon WBB staff, Graduate Assistant Lawrence Technological University, Head Womens Basketball Coach Defiance College, Head Womens Basketball Coach University of Wisconsin River Falls. Join Facebook to connect with Molly Miller and others you may know. In her first job, Miller spent four years as a marketing director for Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute, putting her master of business administration to use while giving basketball instruction to players on the side. She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. Features The virtuosic Molly Miller on her magical 335 and guitar becoming a 'choice' A revered session musician and educator who's worked alongside major artists like Jason Mraz amongst others, Miller is one of the most accomplished guitar players in the industry. 2019 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. Miller and her husband, Derek, are raising a 3-year-old daughter, Crosby, and a 3-month-old son, Cy. In turn, her teams have played uptempo, player-predicated motion offense that averaged 90.2 points per game this season. "I thought for myself as I continued to look at my life and my career, there's not a better Division II in the country," Eagan said of her decision. Millers teams defend with the intensity and trapping that was her trademark as a player. Her ability to draw crowds and excite fans certainly bodes well for her at GCU, considering it has one of the most celebrated student sections in all of college basketball. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. "Given the unbelievable success Coach Miller has experienced on the basketball court, we are incredibly excited about the future of the women's basketball program," GCU President Brian Mueller said. At every step, she has been a determined winner. She guided Drury to the Division II Final Four last year and a 32-0 record this season, when she put the Panthers at No. Player Season Finder . Drury has been ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. Miller and her husband, Derek, are raising a 3-year-old daughter, Crosby, and a 3-month-old son, Cy. Play Index. She challenges them on the court, invests in their lives off the court and keeps an open-door policy to form long-term relationships. "I love this game and everything that is has given to me so I want to give back to it and my players so they can find as much joy and love for the game," Miller said. The determination of her and her coaching staff directly resulted in their ability to sign an exciting freshmen class, as well as a few notable transfers, site unseen. 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! Molly Miller - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more . The Molly Miller coaching debut for Grand Canyon women's basketball will not come until the fall but the Lopes' new head coach has no problem describing what fans will see on the court and the sideline. Miller left Drury with a career record of 180-17 and her .914 winning percentage is the best mark in program history and leads all active women's basketball coaches at all levels of the NCAA. Molly is a rising star, Womens Basketball Coaches Association Executive Director Danielle Donehew said after her peers gave her consecutive Division II Coach of the Year honors. Miller's teams have played with frenetic energy to dominate in Division II and she exudes a similar intensity on the sideline. 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.". From 2004 to 2008, Miller played at Drury as a 5-foot-6 point guard and four-year starter. "Her basketball record is nothing short of incredible but even more important is who she is as a person. 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. Visit gcu.edu Eagan said she barely got the chance to talk to Miller as both start to settle into their new coaching roles. Follow. Upon her hiring at Drury, she still ranked fourth all-time in scoring and was the program's career leader in assists, steals and free throws made. Drury has won the Great Lakes Valley Conference in four consecutive seasons (no team previously had won more than two in a row) as Miller went 105-5 in conference play (55-0 at home) over her six-year tenure. All rights reserved. In turn, her teams have played uptempo, player-predicated motion offense that averaged 90.2 points per game this season. She guided Drury to the Division II Final Four last year and a 32-0 record this season, when she put the Panthers at No. Drury ended the year with a number three national ranking after being ranked number one in the coaches' poll throughout the second half of the season. 3,319 Followers, 580 Following, 584 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Molly Miller (@coach_mollymiller) coach_mollymiller. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email atwwheeler@news-leader.comor join the conversation on Twitter where his handle is@WyattWheeler_NL. Given the unbelievable success Coach Miller has experienced on the basketball court, we are incredibly excited about the future of the womens basketball program, GCU President Brian Mueller said at the time of her hiring. She was able to overcome adversity and utilize modern technology and other unorthodox recruiting techniques to help sell the dream of GCU womens basketball during her first offseason in Division I. She was also a hall of fame-worthy player at the program in addition to being a two-time state champion at Kickapoo. Both Mueller and Boggs raved about Millers character and leadership upon hiring her last year, and it already shows during her short time here in the Valley. Drury will also start '19-20 season with a 40-game . In her Drury playing career, her teams went 112-18 (.862). UNLV 77, Duke 79, Kentucky 103, Duke 104, Notre Dame 91, UConn 89, Texas A&M 63, Stanford 62. We cannot wait for her and her family to arrive in Phoenix and join the GCU community." We're going to be very family-oriented at GCU. The competitive fire of a 2008 Division II third-team All-American has translated to coaching. Now it's time for her to win somewhere else. Millers hustle-oriented teams defend with the intensity and trapping that was her trademark as a player. "To this day, she's the most competitive person I've ever been around," her Drury coach, now-George Mason head coach Nyla Milleson, once told theSpringfield News-Leader. Her teams had a winning season in all six seasons while winning 20 or more games three times. The Lopes were picked third in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll with two on the preseason All-Conference team. The two have not been since since. All Rights Reserved, 2023 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament, Lancers Down Lopes in Front of Sellout Crowd, Tennis set to open 2023 season versus Utah, Trip ends with 3-2 comeback win vs. No. Miller is the new head women's basketball coach of Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. Her leadership capabilities and strong faith background make her an ideal representative of the University. Miller's hustle-oriented teams defend with the intensity and trapping that was her trademark as a player. All the while, she has put an emphasis on her players being students first, learning life skills and acting as community stewards.