Wes Miller fired by Cincinnati basketball after five seasons as coach
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Wes Miller fired by Cincinnati basketball after five seasons as coach
Craig Meyer, USA TODAY NETWORK·USA TODAY Sports
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2 min read
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Cincinnatihas fired men's basketball coachWes Miller, according to multiple reports on Friday, March 13.
The Bearcats went 100-74 in five seasons under Miller, including an 18-15 mark this season.
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Cincinnatistarted 11-12 this season before rattling off seven wins over a nine-game stretch, but it coughed up an eight-point lead in the final two minutes in a 66-65 overtime loss to UCF in the second round of the Big 12 tournament on Wednesday.
"If it's about the best teams at this point, we're one of the best teams in the country,"Miller said after the loss to UCFwhile making the NCAA tournament case for his team. "We're an NCAA tournament team. I think we've won seven of our last 10 Big 12 teams. When's the last time someone won seven out of 10 in the Big 12 and didn't play in the NCAA tournament? I certainly feel we belong. I know tonight (vs. UCF) would have helped."
March 13: Wes Miller, Cincinnati
(William Purnell-Imagn Images)
March 13: Kim English, Providence
(Brad Mills, Imagn Images)
March 11: Jeremy Ballad, Florida International
(Dylan Widger, Imagn Images)
March 11: Adrian Autry, Syracuse
(Rich Barnes, Imagn Images)
March 9: Mike Jones, UNC Greensboro
(Trevor Ruszkowski, Imagn Images)
March 9: Phil Cunningham, Louisiana Monroe
(Scott Sewell, Imagn Images)
March 9: Ed Schilling, Pepperdine
(Melina Pizano, Getty Images)
March 8: Earl Grant, Boston College
(Joe Buglewicz, Getty Images)
March 8: Stan Heath, Eastern Michigan
(Andrew Dolph, Imagn Images)
March 8: Dwayne Stephens, Western Michigan
(Joseph Maiorana, USA TODAY Sports)
March 8: Damon Stoudamire, Georgia Tech
(Jordan Godfree, Imagn Images)
March 7: Rashon Burno, Northern Illinois
(Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports)
March 7: Michael Lewis, Ball State
(John Fisher, Getty Images)
March 7: Mark Schmidt, St. Bonaventure
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)
March 6: Darrell Walker, Arkansas-Little Rock
(Ben Queen, Imagn Images)
March 3: John Pelphrey, Tennessee Tech
(Jordan Prather, Imagn Images)
February 27: Billy Gillispie, Tarleton State
(Chris Jones, Imagn Images)
February 26: Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State
(Chris Gardner, Getty Images)
February 20: Joe Scott, Air Force
(Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports)
February 18: Steve Lavin, San Diego
(Steven Bisig, Imagn Images)
February 17: Jerome Tang, Kansas State
(Scott Sewell, Scott Sewell-Imagn Images)
January 12: Marvin Menzies, Kansas City
(Steven Branscombe, Imagn Images)
1/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 13: Wes Miller, Cincinnati
(William Purnell-Imagn Images)
1/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 13: Wes Miller, Cincinnati
(William Purnell-Imagn Images)
2/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 13: Kim English, Providence
(Brad Mills, Imagn Images)
3/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 11: Jeremy Ballad, Florida International
(Dylan Widger, Imagn Images)
4/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 11: Adrian Autry, Syracuse
(Rich Barnes, Imagn Images)
5/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 9: Mike Jones, UNC Greensboro
(Trevor Ruszkowski, Imagn Images)
6/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 9: Phil Cunningham, Louisiana Monroe
(Scott Sewell, Imagn Images)
7/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 9: Ed Schilling, Pepperdine
(Melina Pizano, Getty Images)
8/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 8: Earl Grant, Boston College
(Joe Buglewicz, Getty Images)
9/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 8: Stan Heath, Eastern Michigan
(Andrew Dolph, Imagn Images)
10/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 8: Dwayne Stephens, Western Michigan
(Joseph Maiorana, USA TODAY Sports)
11/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 8: Damon Stoudamire, Georgia Tech
(Jordan Godfree, Imagn Images)
12/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 7: Rashon Burno, Northern Illinois
(Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports)
13/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 7: Michael Lewis, Ball State
(John Fisher, Getty Images)
14/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 7: Mark Schmidt, St. Bonaventure
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)
15/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 6: Darrell Walker, Arkansas-Little Rock
(Ben Queen, Imagn Images)
16/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
March 3: John Pelphrey, Tennessee Tech
(Jordan Prather, Imagn Images)
17/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
February 27: Billy Gillispie, Tarleton State
(Chris Jones, Imagn Images)
18/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
February 26: Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State
(Chris Gardner, Getty Images)
19/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
February 20: Joe Scott, Air Force
(Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports)
20/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
February 18: Steve Lavin, San Diego
(Steven Bisig, Imagn Images)
21/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
February 17: Jerome Tang, Kansas State
(Scott Sewell, Scott Sewell-Imagn Images)
22/22
NCAA coaches fired during the 2026 college basketball season
January 12: Marvin Menzies, Kansas City
(Steven Branscombe, Imagn Images)
The Bearcats never had a losing record under Miller, but failed to make the NCAA tournament, a glaring shortcoming at a proud program with a decorated history. Cincinnati had participated in the NCAA tournament 23 times over a 28-season stretch from 1992-2019, including in each of former coach Mick Cronin's final nine seasons at the school before he left for UCLA in 2019.
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According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, a part of the USA TODAY Network,Miller's buyoutis $9.9 million. Had the school waited until April 1, that figure would have dropped to $4.69 million.
A former point guard at North Carolina, Miller was hired at Cincinnati in 2021 after a successful 10-year run at UNC Greensboro, where he went 185-135 and guided the Spartans to the NCAA tournament twice.
Though the Bearcats are looking for their first NCAA tournament berth since 2019, they're a program with a lengthy and storied past, with two national championships and six Final Fours.
Among the candidates who would likely be considered for the role is Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun, an Ohio native and Cincinnati graduate who previously worked as an assistant under former Bearcats coach Bob Huggins at West Virginia.
