For the first time ever, her basketball career has taken her outside of Springfield, as she embarks on a new journey as head coach of the GCU Antelopes. View Comments. She took a pay cut to return to Drury as an assistant coach for two seasons before being elevated to interim head coach, a title that lost the interim tag after a 7-2 start. "With the resources and the excitement behind the athletic program and specifically the women's basketball program, there's real momentum there. "I thought for myself as I continued to look at my life and my career, there's not a better Division II in the country," Eagan said of her decision. Her Panthers teams held a stunning 67-1 mark over her last two seasons at her hometown university in Springfield, Missouri. Miller holds the highest career winning percentage (.892) of any NCAA men's or women's basketball coach . Her leadership capabilities and strong faith background make her an ideal representative of the University." GCU finished third in the country in steals per game (12.6), steals (404) and 10th in turnovers forced (21.72) a season ago. We cannot wait for her and her family to arrive in Phoenix and join the GCU community.. GCU named Miller, 34, as its new head coach Tuesday after she posted an astounding 180-17 record over the past six years at her alma mater, Drury Univeristy in Springfield, Missouri. Thursday, Marian McConnell released a statement via Facebook. #LopesUp 0:43 1K views GCU Havocs and 3 others Coach Molly Miller Retweeted Miller's hustle-oriented teams defend with the intensity and trapping that was her trademark as a player. Miller took over the Division 1 program at Grand Canyon in 2020. She took over as head coach at her alma mater in 2014 and led the program to historic heights amassing a 180-17 record over six seasons. Her Drury teams as a player went 112-18 (.862). Drury. Eagan said she barely got the chance to talk to Miller as both start to settle into their new coaching roles. But since Miller took over as head coach at age 28 in 2014, she pushed the Panthers to the best all-time winning percentage (.827) in Division II history. She and her husband Derek share a little about what it's like to balance coaching a college basketball team and raising two children.Grand Canyon University, Arizonas premier, private Christian university, helps students find their purpose with next- generation education, including over 270 academic programs with over 200 online programs. On the heels of Mother's Day, GCU Women's Basketball Head Coach Molly Miller shares a glimpse inside her family. During her final two seasons at Drury, her team went 67-1 including a perfect 32-0 season prior to the cancellation of the 2019-20 NCAA Tournament. I think we can make a big splash. Miller went 180-17 in her eight years at her alma mater Drury in Springfield, Mo., the highest winning percentage for any NCAA D. II coach. 3,319 followers. All the while, she put an emphasis on her players being students first, learning life skills and acting as community stewards. NCAA Tournament. Years later, she became the school's head coach. Molly was an athlete in high school, participating in dance, basketball, and softball. She also served as a head coach at NAIA St. Ambrose in Davenport, Iowa, from 2005-07. "Her basketball record is nothing short of incredible but even more important is who she is as a person. HomeBusiness NewsMolly Miller brings winningest college coaching record to GCU. Im super-competitive, Miller said. https://gculopes.com/news/2020/4/7/womens-basketball-miller-takes-gcu-helm-as-elite-winner.aspx. Miller was also named the national coach of the year and her name was already floating around for Division I openings. "I built some really good relationships with those kids," Eagan said. At every step, she has been a determined winner. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Upon her hiring at Drury, she still ranked fourth all-time in scoring and was the program's career leader in assists, steals and free throws made. Drury has won the Great Lakes Valley Conference in four consecutive seasons (no team previously had won more than two in a row) as Miller went 105-5 in conference play (55-0 at home) over her six-year tenure. "I love this game and everything that is has given to me so I want to give back to it and my players so they can find as much joy and love for the game," Miller said. Veteran forward Tiarra Brown, who enters her junior season and third under Miller, was selected to the Second Team and returns as the leading scorer for the Lopes with 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 2021-22. Jody Adams-Birch takes over at New Mexico State, NM State will not renew the contract of WBB Head Coach Atkinson, OFFICIAL: Gottlieb added to Grand Canyon WBB staff, Graduate Assistant Lawrence Technological University, Head Womens Basketball Coach Defiance College, Head Womens Basketball Coach University of Wisconsin River Falls. 2019 Molly Miller is leading the Grand Canyon women's basketball program for her third season as Lopes head coach after taking over the program on April 7, 2020. Drury ended the year with a number three national ranking after being ranked number one in the coaches' poll throughout the second half of the season. Grand Canyon's aspirations to rise in Division I women's basketball will be in the hands of new Lopes head coach Molly Miller, a two-time Division II Coach of the Year who leads all active college basketball coaches in winning percentage. The .914 winning percentage tops any active Division I, II or III mens or womens basketball head coach with at least five years of experience and includes a stunning 67-1 mark over the past two seasons. "I'm super-competitive," Miller said. "I love the relationship part of it. Well have an exciting brand of basketball to play.. SPRINGFIELD, Mo.. Copyright 2023 AZ Big Media | All Rights Reserved | Site by Blufish, PNC survey shows small business owners see bright future, Ranking Arizona: Top 10 mechanical contractors for 2023, Goodyear takes next steps to make new downtown a reality. Veteran forward Tiarra Brown, who enters her junior season and third under Miller, was selected to the Second Team and returns as the leading scorer for the Lopes with 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 2021-22. Drury has won the Great Lakes Valley Conference in four consecutive seasons (no team previously had won more than two in a row) as Miller went 105-5 in conference play (55-0 at home) over her six-year tenure. The 17-year-old girl's family is still searching for justice. Given the unbelievable success Coach Miller has experienced on the basketball court, we are incredibly excited about the future of the womens basketball program, GCU President Brian Mueller said. Miller was quoted in the university's press release saying: Amy Eagan is a perfect fit to become the next head coach of the Drury University Lady Panthers. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. The entertaining style and success have made Drury one of the top Division II draws, ranking third in attendance last season at 1,768 fans per game despite only having 1,500 undergraduate students on campus and competing for Ozarks basketball fans with Missouri State. "We will have to give each other virtual hugs for now, but soon we'll be high-fiving each other on the court after a Lopes win," Miller said. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email atwwheeler@news-leader.comor join the conversation on Twitter where his handle is@WyattWheeler_NL. The two-time Division II Coach of the Year ended her Drury career with the D-II national runner-up in 2019 and an undefeated, top-ranked 2020 team when the national tournament was canceled because of COVID-19. Miller recruits players with a similar hunger to win and work to improve. Miller just completed her fifth season as the Lady Panthers head coach and her teams have gone 148-17. Miller enters the 2022-23 season with an .866 winning percentage, second highest among active Division I head coaches, .19 behind UConn's Geno Auriemma. The Lady Panthers became the first team in GLVC history to win three league titles in a row and were the first team ever to go unbeaten during the regular season and win the conference tournament in the same year. In her final season at Truman State, the Bulldogs finished with a 23-8 record marking the program's best season in 47 years. Visit gcu.edu "She carries herself with class and poise, and I was so proud to have her by my side last year. She has tremendous character, is passionate about her faith and will be a wonderful leader for our student-athletes. All the while, she has put an emphasis on her players being students first, learning life skills and acting as community stewards. Drury Athletics Director Corey Bray saw what Molly Miller did a year ago and he knew he needed to start looking for a successor. At every step, she has been a determined winner. Miller is the new head women's basketball coach of Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. Millers hustle-oriented teams defend with the intensity and trapping that was her trademark as a player. All the while, she put an emphasis on her players being students first, learning life skills and acting as community stewards. Now it's time for her to win somewhere else. In her spare time, she loved to read and write. UNLV 77, Duke 79, Kentucky 103, Duke 104, Notre Dame 91, UConn 89, Texas A&M 63, Stanford 62. Just before becoming the head coach at Truman State, she was the head coach at Ashford and took a team that won just four games in her first season to a near .500-record the next year. With the resources and the excitement behind the athletic program and specifically the womens basketball program, theres real momentum there. Off the court, Miller preaches about the importance of culture and comradery. Make a Gift (Basketball Benefits Included), TicketSmarter - Official Ticket Resale Partner, 5 NCAA-II tournaments, 4GLVCchampionships, Note- no divisional play in the GLVC in 2018-19. Member News Both Mueller and Boggs raved about Millers character and leadership upon hiring her last year, and it already shows during her short time here in the Valley. Growing up in Springfield as Molly Carter, she found her love of basketball at age 8 as a ball girl for national power Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State). Drury was ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. Now that you have a little background on Coach Miller, its time to get to know the person behind all that success. Now it's time for her to win somewhere else. GCU offers new residence halls, amenities, academic buildings and state-of-the-art athletic facilities on campus, student support resources, dynamic online classrooms, innovative learning experiences and more. Molly Miller's tenure as the Lady Panthers head coach saw another magical season under her leadership as Drury went 35-1, advanced to the NCAA-II national semifinals, . Drury has been ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. A year later, Bray had to use that list but he didn't have to look far. In two seasons in Phoenix, Millers high-pressure defense and up-tempo offense has seen GCU rank nationally in steals per game and turnovers forced per game. We will have to give each other virtual hugs for now, but soon well be high-fiving each other on the court after a Lopes win, Miller said. The team that won its fourth-straight GLVC title just this past season got its wish. For the first time ever, her basketball career has taken her outside of Springfield, as she embarks on a new journey as head coach of the GCU Antelopes. Molly Miller - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more . In the five days leading up to the announcement of her hiring, multiple Lady Panthers voiced their support for Eagan while hoping she would get the promotion. Grand Canyon University head coach Molly Miller joins the Basketball Podcast to discuss full-court pressure and playing uptempo.Miller holds the highest care. She ranks fourth in program history for career points (1,570), third for assists (439) and second for steals (409). Head Coach Molly Miller (joined by Cy and Crosby) speaks with the media after GCU Women's Basketball defeats Seattle 80-64.Grand Canyon University, Arizona's. Miller maintained Drury's tradition upon becoming head coach at age 28 and she ascended the program to reach the 2019 Division II Final Four and post a 32-0 record in 2019-20, when the Panthers were ranked No. She already was mastering dribbling and finishing with either hand and progressed into a player who won two state championships at Kickapoo High School, where her teams went 109-9 (.924). Were going to be very family-oriented at GCU. I think we can make a big splash. Drury was ranked in the Division II top 25 for a nation-leading 111 consecutive weeks. The moment it all started "I started playing guitar when I was seven years old. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here.