Curt Miller (born October 6, 1968)
is an American basketball coach, currently the head coach of the
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was foun ...
of the
WNBA. He previously served as the head coach of the Connecticut Sun from 2016-2022 and
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a Public university, public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research ...
from 2001–2012 and
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
* Indiana Univers ...
from 2012–2014, and spent one season as an assistant to
Brian Agler
Brian Agler (born August 2, 1958) is an American women's professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Dallas Wings from 2019 to 2020. He also had previously been head coach of the Seattle Storm and the Los Angeles Sparks, each of whom ...
with the
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was foun ...
.
Assistant coaching career
Miller served as an assistant coach at
Colorado State, helping the school to an 81-20 (.802) overall record during his three seasons there. He also served as an assistant at
Cleveland State and
Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
* Syracuse, New York
** East Syracuse, New York
** North Syracuse, New York
* Syracuse, Indiana
*Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, M ...
.
On March 31, 2015, the
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was foun ...
hired Miller as an assistant coach.
Head coaching career
Bowling Green
During his tenure at Bowling Green he compiled a 258–92 record including 135–41 in the
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twe ...
. He was named MAC Coach of the Year 6 times, and won the conference regular season title 8 straight times between 2005–2012. His best season came in 2006 when he led the Falcons to a 31–4 mark, including a sweet sixteen appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Indiana University
When Miller was negotiating a contract extension with Bowling Green in 2005, he included a "dream clause" in which Miller could list a few of his personal destination jobs. The
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Ath ...
were on that list and, when an opening for head women's basketball coach occurred at the school in 2012, he applied for and got the position. Miller signed a six-year deal worth $275,000 a year. Miller resigned on July 25, 2014 citing health and family reasons.
Connecticut Sun
After one season as an assistant with the
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was foun ...
, Miller returned to the head coaching ranks. He was announced as the new head coach of the
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The team was established ...
on December 17, 2015. In his second season with the Sun in 2017 he was named WNBA coach of the year. While working with the Sun, Miller was "the first openly gay, male coach in college or professional basketball". His
2019 team made the
WNBA finals
The WNBA Finals are the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002. Starting 2016 Verizon is the offici ...
but lost to the
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference ...
in the five games. The Sun were knocked out in the
Semifinals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final mat ...
in 2020. His
2021 team finished the regular season in first place with a 26–6 record. but were upset in the
Semifinals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final mat ...
by the
Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the ...
. He was named WNBA coach of the year for the second time in 2021.
Head Coaching Record
NCAA
WNBA
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Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The team was established ...
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2016
, 34, , 14, , 20, , , , align="center" , 5th in East , , —, , —, , —, , —
, align="center" , Missed Playoffs
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Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The team was established ...
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2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, 34, , 21, , 13, , , , align="center" , 2nd in East , , 1, , 0, , 1, ,
, align="center" , Lost in
Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
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, align="left" ,
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The team was established ...
, align="left" ,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, 34, , 21, , 13, , , , align="center" , 3rd in East , , 1, , 0, , 1, ,
, align="center" , Lost in
Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
, -
, align="left" ,
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The team was established ...
, align="left" ,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, 34, , 23, , 11, , , , align="center" , 2nd in East , , 8, , 5, , 3, ,
, align="center" , Lost in
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals are the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002. Starting 2016 Verizon is the offici ...
, -
, align="left" ,
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The team was established ...
, align="left" ,
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...
, 22 , , 10 , , 12 , , , , align="center" , 2nd in East , , 7 , , 4 , , 3 , ,
, align="center" , Lost in
Semifinals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final mat ...
, -
, align="left" ,
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The team was established ...
, align="left" ,
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
, 32 , , 26 , , 6 , , , , align="center" , 1st in East , , 4 , , 1 , , 3 , ,
, align="center" , Lost in
Semifinals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final mat ...
, -
, align="left" ,
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The team was established ...
, align="left" ,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeyp ...
, 36 , , 25 , , 11 , , , , align="center" , 2nd in East , , 12 , , 6 , , 6 , ,
, align="center" , Lost in
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals are the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002. Starting 2016 Verizon is the offici ...
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, align="left" , Career
, , , 222 , , 136 , , 86 , , , , , , 33 , , 16 , , 17 , ,
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Curt
1958 births
Living people
American women's basketball coaches
Baldwin Wallace University alumni
Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania
Bowling Green Falcons women's basketball coaches
Cleveland State Vikings women's basketball coaches
Colorado State Rams women's basketball coaches
Connecticut Sun coaches
Indiana Hoosiers women's basketball coaches
Los Angeles Sparks coaches
People from Erie County, Pennsylvania
Syracuse Orange women's basketball coaches
American LGBT sportspeople
Women's National Basketball Association general managers