Former Xavier head coach Sean Miller shouts to his team during a game against St. Louis at the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament last month in Atlantic City, N.J. Xavier won 66-47.
Retired Arizona Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson said he’s “very excited for UA and Sean” after it was announced Sean Miller will take the job as the University of Arizona basketball coach.
“That’s great news,” Olson said on Monday when reached by the Tucson Citizen. “He’s a perfect fit. He’s a heck of a coach, a quality guy and one of high integrity.”
Olson, 74, said he’s known Miller, 40, a University of Pittsburgh grad, for a long time. Miller played against Olson’s UA teams in 1988 and 1992.
“Jim Livengood couldn’t have done a better job,” Olson said about UA’s athletic director.
The retired coach said Miller can’t worry about following his legacy, which included four Final Four appearances at UA and a national title in 1997.
“You have to wait to see what the new guy does, put aside all that, say, ‘OK, let’s move on and see what happens,’ ” Olson said.
Olson retired in late October.