Play Index. We want to be one of the best teams in the nation. Eagan will have some big shoes to fill as she tries to replace someone who was turning into a bit of a Springfield women's basketball icon before her departure. The Lopes were picked third in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll with two on the preseason All-Conference team. 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. Grand Canyon University head coach Molly Miller joins the Basketball Podcast to discuss full-court pressure and playing uptempo.Miller holds the highest care. Eagan played college basketball at Truman State and was a four-time all-conference selection in the MIAA. 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. She accepted the position in April at the Division I school. "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. 584 posts. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. 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 is joined in Phoenix by her. 580 following. She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (409). Drury Athletics Director Corey Bray saw what Molly Miller did a year ago and he knew he needed to start looking for a successor. I'm just a relationship coach.". 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. Her teams were top-5 in the nation in five different defensive statistical categories. Millers teams defend with the intensity and trapping that was her trademark as a player. GCU finished third in the country in steals per game (12.6), steals (404) and 10th in turnovers forced (21.72) a season ago. "Jinx" averaged 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists in 923 games for six teams. Player Season Finder . Miller was a three-time all conference player and MVP who led her team to 4 NCAA tournament appearances and a 112-18 record, was a three-time all-state player in HS, and led her team to 2 state championships and a record of 110-9 over four years. 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. #LopesUp 0:43 1K views GCU Havocs and 3 others Coach Molly Miller Retweeted 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. 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. But since Miller took over as head coach at age 28 in 2014, she pushed the Panthers to the best all-time winning percentage (.827) in Division II history. 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. Molly Miller is in her sixth season as the Lady Panthers head coach. Drury announced Amy Eagan would be promoted to the head coaching position after she spent one year as an assistant coach. Millers hustle-oriented teams defend with the intensity and trapping that was her trademark as a player. Miller enters the 2022-23 season with an .866 winning percentage, second highest among active Division I head coaches, .19 behind UConns Geno Auriemma. On the heels of Mother's Day, GCU Women's Basketball Head Coach Molly Miller shares a glimpse inside her family. Her leadership capabilities and strong faith background make her an ideal representative of the University. Im super-competitive, Miller said. 1 for every week of the Division II poll up until the NCAA tournament cancellation. Im excited to hit the ground running and meet those kids and love them like family. 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. But since Miller took over as head coach at age 28 in 2014, she pushed the Panthers to the best all-time winning percentage (.827) in Division II history. Her leadership capabilities and strong faith background make her an ideal representative of the University.. 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. 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. Miller's competitive fire that made her a Division II third-team All-American in 2008 has translated to coaching. 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. 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. If you havent heard about GCUs new womens basketball coach yet, then here is a summary of her resume. The two have not been since since. Bray started to gather a shortlistjust in case someone hired Miller away. Drury. "She carries herself with class and poise, and I was so proud to have her by my side last year. She will enter the 2019-20 owning the best winning percentage among head coaches in all of NCAA-II women's basketball. SPRINGFIELD, Mo.. Molly Miller exits Drury with a career record of 180-17, By: Ed Beach, Assistant AD for External Affairs/Media Relations, Make a Gift (Basketball Benefits Included), TicketSmarter - Official Ticket Resale Partner, Molly Miller's letter to the Drury Community, Link to Grand Canyon University news release, Lady Panthers escape quarterfinals scare from Quincy, Top seeded Lady Panthers open GLVC Tournament vs Quincy, Thur., 6 pm, Amy Eagan named GLVC Coach of the Year; Moore is Defensive Player of the Year; Schaaf named Freshman of the Year; four selected as All-GLVC, Lady Panthers remain at number two in national poll, .914 winning percentage leads all of NCAA women's basketball, Led the team to 54 straight home wins (2016-current), the second-longest home-court winning streak in NCAA-II, Was 55-0 at home in the GLVC during her career, NCAA-II Coach of the Year (WBCA) 2020 and 2019, 2020 NCAA-II Coach of the Year (World Exposure Report), 2020 NCAA-II Coach of the Year (HoopDirt.com), Number One national ranking for all 16 weeks of the NCAA-II coaches' poll, Nationally ranked in the NCAA-II Top 25 for 111 straight weeks, the longest such streak in the nation, and ranked in the Top 10 for 48 consecutive weeks, Won five GLVC championships in her six years (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020), Won six GLVC regular season titles (West Division in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018; finished first as a one-division league in 2019 and 2020), Made NCAA-II tournament in all six of seasons (advanced to regional finals in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019), Advanced to NCAA-II national semifinals in 2019, Coached the NCAA-II Player of the Year twice (, Had 19 players named All-GLVC, with 12 players named First Team All-GLVC, Had one GLVC Player of the Year (Hailey Diestlkamp, 2020), Had two GLVC Freshman of the Year winners (, Had three named GLVC Defensive Player of the Year (, Inducted into Drury Sports Hall of Fame, 2012. 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. For the first time ever, her basketball career has taken her outside of Springfield, as she embarks on a new journey as head coach of the GCU Antelopes. Miller and her husband, Derek, have two children, Crosby and Cy. She will enter the 2019-20 owning the best winning percentage among head coaches in all of NCAA-II women's basketball. She inherits a team from Nicole Powell that went 15-12 . Now it's time for her to win somewhere else. Molly was an athlete in high school, participating in dance, basketball, and softball. 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. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. 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. She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. Miller's teams have played with frenetic energy to dominate in Division II and she exudes a similar intensity on the sideline. Miller is the new head women's basketball coach of Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. 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. Drury Lady Panthers:All Molly Miller did in Springfield was win. 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. After six seasons leading the Drury University women's basketball program, Molly Miller has accepted the head coaching position at Grand Canyon University, an NCAA Division I program in Phoenix, Arizona, and a member of the Western Athletic Conference. Instead of continuing on as the Truman State head coach, she decided to leave to become an assistant at Drury. 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. She also served as a head coach at NAIA St. Ambrose in Davenport, Iowa, from 2005-07. Eagan's Truman State team won the Great Lakes Valley Conference title in her first season in 2013-14 and she finished her career as the program's all-time leader in coaching wins with a record of. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. 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. We cannot wait for her and her family to arrive in Phoenix and join the GCU community." Miller and her husband, Derek, are raising a 3-year-old daughter, Crosby, and a 3-month-old son, Cy. 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. "I have all the faith in the world that this will be a very easy transition for the program and the kids and that we can continue what we have done with the expectations for this program and then do those things even better.". "I'm super-competitive," Miller said. In her final season at Truman State, the Bulldogs finished with a 23-8 record marking the program's best season in 47 years. 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). View the profiles of people named Molly Miller. The 2021-22 season concluded in the WNIT first round, the first WNIT berth for the Lopes in program history. 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. We will have to give each other virtual hugs for now, but soon well be high-fiving each other on the court after a Lopes win, Miller said. Her basketball record is nothing short of incredible but even more important is who she is as a person. Her Panthers teams held a stunning 67-1 mark over her last two seasons at her hometown university in Springfield, Missouri. 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. Facebook gives people the power to. Miller left the Lady Panthers for Division I Grand Canyon on Wednesday, Drury announced Amy Eagan would be promoted to the head coaching position, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The 2021-22 season concluded in the WNIT first round, the first WNIT berth for the Lopes in program history. In her spare time, she loved to read and write. For the first time ever, her basketball career has taken her outside of Springfield, as she embarks on a new journey as head coach of the GCU Antelopes. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. 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. All the while, she has put an emphasis on her players being students first, learning life skills and acting as community stewards. 2023 Western Athletic Conference. With the resources and the excitement behind the athletic program and specifically the womens basketball program, theres real momentum there. 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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, won the Midwest Regional, and won their third-straight GLVC championship in 2018-19. 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). Thats going to be our goal and I think we can do it at GCU.. Miller took over the Division 1 program at Grand Canyon in 2020. 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). She and her husband Derek share a little about what it's like to balance coaching a college basketball team and raising two children.Grand Canyon University, Arizonas premier, private Christian university, helps students find their purpose with next- generation education, including over 270 academic programs with over 200 online programs. 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.. Drury will also start '19-20 season with a 40-game . Miller is joined in Phoenix by her husband, Derek, and their two children, Crosby and Cy. "With the resources and the excitement behind the athletic program and specifically the women's basketball program, there's real momentum there. 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. Her Panthers teams held a stunning 67-1 mark over her last two seasons at her hometown university in Springfield, Missouri. "I am very excited," Eagan said during a Zoom press conference with members of the media. 0:04 0:33 Molly Miller has known two things her entire basketball career: winning and doing it in Springfield. 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. 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. "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. 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. She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (407). Millers 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.". In turn, her teams have played uptempo, player-predicated motion offense that averaged 90.2 points per game this season. 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. In two seasons in Phoenix, Millers high-pressure defense and up-tempo offense has seen GCU rank nationally in steals per game and turnovers forced per game. Arizona Republic. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. We'll have an exciting brand of basketball to play." It was only a matter of time before she had to do it somewhere else. 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. On the heels of Mother's Day, GCU Women's Basketball Head Coach Molly Miller shares a glimpse inside her family. From 2004 to 2008, Miller played at Drury as a 5-foot-6 point guard and four-year starter. 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. The car Miller and Haynes were riding in, a 2012 Honda Accord, was found totaled two weeks . Miller enters the 2022-23 season with an .866 winning percentage, second highest among active Division I head coaches, .19 behind UConns Geno Auriemma. The competitive fire of a 2008 Division II third-team All-American has translated to coaching. She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (409). 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 . NCAA Tournament. 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. Were going to be very family-oriented at GCU. Founded, monitored, and run by college coaches. Well have an exciting brand of basketball to play.. GCU named Miller, 34, as its new head coach Tuesday after she posted an astounding 180-17 record over . Visit gcu.edu "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." She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. She was also a hall of fame-worthy player at the program in addition to being a two-time state champion at Kickapoo. "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. 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, . Miller led Kickapoo High School to a state championship. "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. Copyright 2023 AZ Big Media | All Rights Reserved | Site by Blufish, PNC survey shows small business owners see bright future, Ranking Arizona: Top 10 mechanical contractors for 2023, Goodyear takes next steps to make new downtown a reality. Last month, Womens 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. The 17-year-old girl's family is still searching for justice. 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.