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. Drury has been ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. She was studying to become a nurse. 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, . "With the resources and the excitement behind the athletic program and specifically the women's basketball program, there's real momentum there. GCU womens basketball coach Molly Miller led the school to its first NIT appearance this season. 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. Her teams were top-5 in the nation in five different defensive statistical categories. She took over as head coach at her alma mater in 2014 and led the program to historic heights amassing a 180-17 record over six seasons. 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. "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. Arizona Republic. 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. Getting to know the kids outside of just basketball I just think those things are really, really important. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. On the court, Coach Miller is all about pressure defense. "I couldn't be more appreciative of her and everything she's done for me.". 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. The two have not been since since. We'll have an exciting brand of basketball to play." Her teams had a winning season in all six seasons while winning 20 or more games three times. All the while, she has put an emphasis on her players being students first, learning life skills and acting as community stewards. 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. Over her six-year Drury career, Miller is 128-8. Her winning record as a player and a former head coach is impressive. Molly Miller - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more . 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. The competitive fire of a 2008 Division II third-team All-American has translated to coaching. Molly Miller is in her sixth season as the Lady Panthers head coach. Member News 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. On the heels of Mother's Day, GCU Women's Basketball Head Coach Molly Miller shares a glimpse inside her family. Off the court, Miller preaches about the importance of culture and comradery. 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. At every step, she has been a determined winner. 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 . The Panthers have guarded opponents from baseline to baseline and led Division II with 30.8 turnovers forced per game this season. 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. She challenges them on the court, invests in their lives off the court and keeps an open-door policy to form long-term relationships. "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. https://gculopes.com/news/2020/4/7/womens-basketball-miller-takes-gcu-helm-as-elite-winner.aspx. Drury won by 27.9 points per game in 2018-19 and 28.5 per game in 2019-20. GCU finished third in the country in steals per game (12.6), steals (404) and 10th in turnovers forced (21.72) a season ago. She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (407). GCU offers new residence halls, amenities, academic buildings and state-of-the-art athletic facilities on campus, student support resources, dynamic online classrooms, innovative learning experiences and more. "Her basketball record is nothing short of incredible but even more important is who she is as a person. The Lady Panthers won their first 35 games before falling in the Division II NCAA Tournament semifinals. In turn, her teams have played uptempo, player-predicated motion offense that averaged 90.2 points per game this season. In her spare time, she loved to read and write. 1 for every week of the Division II poll up until the NCAA tournament cancellation. She will enter the 2019-20 owning the best winning percentage among head coaches in all of NCAA-II women's basketball. All rights reserved. Im excited to hit the ground running and meet those kids and love them like family. NCAA Tournament. Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. In her final season at Truman State, the Bulldogs finished with a 23-8 record marking the program's best season in 47 years. 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. "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. Player Season Finder . Before Jalen Rose worked at ESPN along with Molly Qerim and other sports analysts, he was a 13-year NBA veteran. "I'm super-competitive," Miller said. Drury has been ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. 3,319 Followers, 580 Following, 584 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Molly Miller (@coach_mollymiller) coach_mollymiller. The 2021-22 season concluded in the WNIT first round, the first WNIT berth for the Lopes in program history. 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. Before joining Drury, Eagan had a successful six-year stint as the head coach at Truman State. 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. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. 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. SPRINGFIELD, Mo.. The Drury womens basketball program is in great hands, and this alum couldnt be happier!. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Bray started to gather a shortlistjust in case someone hired Miller away. The car Miller and Haynes were riding in, a 2012 Honda Accord, was found totaled two weeks . 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. 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. Her combined high school and college record as a player was 221-27. Her .914 winning percentage at Drury was the top mark among active NCAA basketball coaches, regardless of gender or division. 0:04 0:33 Molly Miller has known two things her entire basketball career: winning and doing it in Springfield. That's going to be our goal and I think we can do it at GCU." 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. 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. 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. We cannot wait for her and her family to arrive in Phoenix and join the GCU community." 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. 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. A year later, Bray had to use that list but he didn't have to look far. 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.". 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). At every step, she has been a determined winner. 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. 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. 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. "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. "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 AthleticsJamie Boggssaid. READ ALSO:GCU freezes tuition for 13th year. Drury will also start '19-20 season with a 40-game . "She was one of my biggest supporters and she really, really helped me through this process," Eagan said. She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. Drury was ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. 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. On the heels of Mother's Day, GCU Women's Basketball Head Coach Molly Miller shares a glimpse inside her family. Miller is considered the top NCAA Division II women's coach in the . 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). 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. Miller is joined in Phoenix by her. Play Index. 17, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Dec. 10, WAC Basketball Tournament All-Session Tickets On Sale Now, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Dec. 3, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Nov. 26, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Nov. 19, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Nov. 12, This Week in WAC Women's Basketball - Nov. 4, WAC Announces Basketball Preview Show, Spotlight Game Schedules, WAC Media Select NM State, Mattingly as Preseason Favorites, WAC Coaches Select NM State, Pack as Preseason Favorites. Drury Lady Panthers:All Molly Miller did in Springfield was win. 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. 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. 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. 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 husband, Derek, and their two children, Crosby and Cy. In her Drury playing career, her teams went 112-18 (.862). GCU named Miller, 34, as its new head coach Tuesday after she posted an astounding 180-17 record over . 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 will also start '19-20 season with a 40-game . 1 every week in the Division II poll. Now that you have a little background on Coach Miller, its time to get to know the person behind all that success. 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. 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. "I'm excited to hit the ground running and meet those kids and love them like family. 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. Years later, she became the school's head coach. We're going to be very family-oriented at GCU. 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, . 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. "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 team that won its fourth-straight GLVC title just this past season got its wish. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. PHOENIX, Ariz. (KY3) - Grand Canyon University head basketball coach Molly Miller made her name in Springfield. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. 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. I am thrilled coach Eagan will be taking the helm at Drury, and I sincerely wish her the best of luck. 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. I'm just a relationship coach.". Miller's competitive fire that made her a Division II third-team All-American in 2008 has translated to coaching. "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. 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 was also named the national coach of the year and her name was already floating around for Division I openings. 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. The Lopes were picked third in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll with two on the preseason All-Conference team. "She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. 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. 12 Apr 2019 News Drury University women's basketball head coach Molly Miller has agreed to terms with the institution on a contract extension that will run through the 2021-22 season. 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.