Arizona State tabs Grand Canyon's Molly Miller as next women's basketball coach
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona State is hiring Grand Canyon's Molly Miller as its next women's basketball coach.
Miller replaces Natasha Adair, who was fired earlier this month after going 29-62 in three seasons.
Miller had a successful run across town at GCU, leading the Lopes to their first Western Athletic Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance this season. Grand Canyon took a 30-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament before losing to Baylor in the first round.
The 38-year-old Miller went 117-38 in five seasons at GCU after a program-best 32-3 this year.
'We would like to thank coach Molly Miller for leading our program for five seasons, culminating in the first conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance for women's basketball,' GCU athletic director Jamie Boggs said in a statement on Saturday. 'We wish her the best in her new opportunity.'
Miller previously coached at her alma mater, leading Division II Drury to a 180-17 record in six seasons.
___
AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
West Indies' top T20 batter Nicholas Pooran retires from internationals
Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (AP) — Nicholas Pooran, West Indies' Twenty20 record-holder for runs and appearances, retired from international cricket on Monday. Pooran, 29, made the announcement on Instagram. Advertisement "Wearing that maroon, standing for the anthem, and giving everything I had each time I stepped on the field... it's hard to put into words what that truly means to me,' he wrote. 'To have led the team as captain is a privilege I will always hold close to my heart.' Pooran was suspended briefly in late 2019 after admitting to ball-tampering against Afghanistan, and overcame that to be named West Indies T20 vice captain about 18 months later for a tour by Australia. But he became captain when Kieron Pollard couldn't play, and led the team to a 4-1 series win. In 2022, he was named the permanent white-ball captain and took the team to that year's T20 World Cup in Australia, but in fallout from a first-round elimination he resigned. He starred when the West Indies hosted the T20 World Cup last year, overtaking Chris Gayle as the team's all-time leading scorer, and hitting his highest T20 score, 98 against Afghanistan. Advertisement Pooran played 106 T20s for 2,275 runs at an average of 26.14. He also played 61 one-day internationals, including three centuries and one World Cup. Cricket West Indies praised Pooran as a game-changer, and with 'sincere gratitude and appreciation ... for his outstanding contributions. His performances on the field and influence within the team have made a lasting impact on West Indies cricket." ___ AP cricket:
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
The bright spark on dark night for Scotland
Life could have easier for Lennon Miller when he was thrown on for his Scotland debut. Despite Friday's match being a non-competitive encounter, there was nothing friendly about the mood at Hampden when the Motherwell teenager entered the pitch with Steve Clarke's side 3-1 down to Iceland. Advertisement It would have been easy for the 18-year-old to hide in a challenging atmosphere, but the midfielder constantly made himself available as an option as the Scots desperately searched for a way back into the game. In only 22 minutes on the pitch, the youngster had 30 touches. He created one chance and misplaced just five of his 27 passes, putting six of them into the final third. By contrast, fellow midfielder Billy Gilmour managed nine passes into the attack in a 90-minute display. Lewis Ferguson, who also played the entire match, registered eight. Miller caused a stir when he said he had hopes of becoming Scotland's "best player" in the near future after being called up to the senior squad for the first time in March. Advertisement Scotland assistant coach John Carver said those remarks were a mistake by the teenager. Clarke, meanwhile, backed the midfielder for showing ambition. Three months on, a brave and fearless cameo did Miller's talking for him as he delivered a bright display on a dark night for Scotland. It remains to be seen whether that brief outing will reward him with a start in Liechtenstein on Monday, but any doubts about his capability of starting international games will now be somewhat quieter.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Terry Francona returns to Cleveland as Reds manager, jokes about getting lost in renovated ballpark
Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona reacts in the dugout following the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Monday, June 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean) Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) watches from the dugout railing before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) watches from the dugout railing before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona reacts in the dugout following the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Monday, June 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean) Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) watches from the dugout railing before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) CLEVELAND (AP) — Terry Francona could have used his old scooter to get around the renovated service area beneath Progressive Field. Instead, Francona made do with walking and joked about the changes that have occurred at the ballpark he called home for 11 seasons. Advertisement Francona returned to Cleveland for the first time since being named Cincinnati's manager as the Reds opened a three-game series against the Guardians on Monday. 'I got lost about three times. That's the longest (clubhouse) hallway I've ever seen,' Francona said. 'I don't think I've seen the whole thing yet just because I don't feel like icing down my knees. But from what I've seen in the ballpark, it looks good.' Francona — who used to ride a scooter from his downtown apartment to the ballpark — isn't the only visitor who has joked about the long tunnel from the clubhouse to the dugout on the first-base side. Both clubhouses were renovated during the offseason, more than tripling their size. The 66-year-old manager enters the series unbeaten against his former team: The Reds swept a three-game series at Cincinnati last month. Advertisement Francona was at the helm in Cleveland for 11 seasons and is the franchise's leader in wins (921) and games managed (1,678). Cleveland made the playoffs six times under Francona and lost the 2016 World Series to the Chicago Cubs in seven games, falling just short of the franchise's first title since 1948. He was a senior advisor for the Guardians last year, but only made a couple of trips to Cleveland. He didn't want to get in the way of manager Stephen Vogt and his coaching staff. 'There were a couple times during spring, two hours away I wanted to come up, but I didn't think it was right,' Francona said. 'I just thought for the new staff here, they needed to be able to do things. They don't need me telling 'em how to do it or acting like I'm going to tell 'em how to do it.' 'During the season I watched a lot of baseball, probably more than I have in a long, long time. I'd turn on games that were in the eighth inning tied and I'd watch the end of it and flip to another game and really enjoyed it.' Advertisement While Francona was happy to be back in Cleveland, his focus was on trying to help the Reds extend their winning streak to four games after a weekend sweep of Arizona. 'I had 11 really fun years here and I had some great relationships. That never changes, but now we're trying to figure out a way to beat 'em tonight. That's why we're here. That'll never take away how I feel about people here,' he said. Francona was among several Reds staffers making their return. Bench coach Brad Mills and hitting coach Chris Valaika were on Francona's Cleveland staff, while first-base coach Collin Cowgill and major league coach Mike Napoli played for the franchise. Reds left fielder Will Benson, who hit four home runs during the sweep of the Guardians, was Cleveland's first-round pick in 2016. ___ AP MLB:
