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Sean Miller says he is not a candidate for Pitt job

Posted at 7:06 AM, Mar 21, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-21 13:55:23-04

Sean Miller says he is not a candidate for the Pitt basketball job, which reports had connected him to.

"I am not a candidate for the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball head coaching vacancy," he said in a statement. "I wish them well in their search for a new coach."

Reports earlier in the week indicated that Arizona Wildcats basketball coach Sean Miller was interested in the head coaching job at Pitt, his alma mater.

According to Pittsburgh News Now, intermediaries reached out to Pitt on Miller's behalf. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Miller and Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke have discussed the opening.

Pitt fired coach Kevin Stallings March 8 and has been on the hunt to fill the position. Pitt has pursued Rhode Island coach Danny Hurley to fill the opening, but Hurley may turn that down to take the UConn opening.

Miller played at Pitt from 1987 to 1992. He has coached at Arizona since 2009.

An ESPN report accused Sean Miller speaking on an FBI wiretap about offering a recruit $100,000 to UA. Miller has refuted that report and the UA has stood behind him.

The program has also been embroiled in an FBI investigation that resulted in the arrest and firing of assistant coach Book Richardson.

Under Miller's direction, Arizona finished 27-8, winning the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles before losing to Buffalo in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.