AUBURN - Missouri basketball assistant Ryan Miller is moving to Auburn to join Tony Barbee's staff.
Auburn coacj Tony Barbee
Or so it would seem.
One of Auburn's current assistants - Randall Dickey, Tony Madlock or Milt Wagner - could take the director of basketball operations job vacated by Mike Babul, who has moved to Wagner.
Or so it would seem.
As required by law when there is a job opening, Auburn has advertised an opening for an assistant coach. It has not advertised an opening for a director of basketball operations.
This all blew up Saturday when Missouri issued a statement Saturday from Miller and head coach Frank Haith. An Auburn spokesman said the job had not been filled. Haith indicated Miller has been offered the position of associate head coach.
Miller, the younger brother of Miami Heat forward Mike Miller, has been at Missouri for only two months. He had an administrative job at Memphis in 2004-2006 when John Calipari was he head coach and Barbee was an assistant. He spent the past five seasons at New Mexico.
"It was a difficult decision, because I really enjoyed working at Missouri and I can't think of a better head coach to work for than Coach Haith," Miller said in his statement. "I appreciate how supportive he was of me during this process. The culture he has created here is among the best in college basketball.
“I do want to say how much I appreciated my short time in Columbia and I know why my friends and colleagues spoke so highly of Frank and Mizzou. This is such a special place to so many people and my experience with our student-athletes, the university and the city will stay with me forever.”
Haith also issued prepared statement.
"It's a great opportunity personally, professionally and financially," Haith said. "To go from our third assistant to associate head coach and work for a former colleague and friend, it's a major career move."
Miller is the younger brother of Miami Heat forward Mike Miller. He graduated from Northern State in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
- Phillip Marshall
- Auburn Insider - AuburnUndercover