Miller's contract extension with UA finalized

Published Jun. 15, 2012 3:17 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Arizona Board of Regents on Friday approved a contract extension for Arizona coach Sean Miller that runs through the 2017 season.

Miller initially agreed to the extension in May 2011 after interviewing with Maryland for its vacant head coaching job. Terms of the contract have not been disclosed, but Miller's original deal paid him $2 million a year and ran through 2015. The five-year extension is the longest permitted by the Board of Regents.

The 43-year-old Miller has a 69-35 record in three seasons at UA and a career record of 169-82 in eight seasons overall, with the first five spent at Xavier. He led the Wildcats to a regular-season Pac-10 championship and an Elite Eight appearance in 2011, earning Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors in the process.

"We’re pleased to have Sean Miller’s contract extended by the Arizona Board of Regents," said UA athletic director Greg Byrne. "Our program has made tremendous strides under his leadership, and the future looks exceptionally bright. This just re-emphasizes our commitment to Coach Miller and the University of Arizona men’s basketball program."

While UA missed out on the NCAA tournament in 2011, instead playing in the NIT and finishing 23-12, Miller's incoming recruiting class is considered among the nation's best.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank President (Ann Weaver) Hart, Dr. (Eugene) Sander and Greg Byrne for their continued belief in me as the head basketball coach at the University of Arizona," Miller said. "During the last three years, we have been able to lay a strong foundation for future success both in the classroom and on the basketball court. I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead as we work toward building our program into a national contender once again."