Tim Miles articles (LJS & OWH)

[Nexus]

LJS

 

Adam Nigon arrived at Colorado State's practice one day and overheard the student managers talking.

 

Don't get out the basketballs today, they said. Not going to need them.

 

Coach Miles said so.

 

Nigon braced himself. He was only a freshman, but smart enough to know what a practice with no basketballs meant.

 

"I'm thinking we're in trouble," Nigon said.

 

The Rams, in Tim Miles' first season, were on a long losing streak and winless in Mountain West Conference play.

 

The roster of walk-ons and transfers was drained, mentally and physically. Morale was low.

 

And now wind sprints? Seriously?

 

"We show up to practice," Nigon said, "and he's got a volleyball net set up. We play volleyball for practice that day."

 

Coaches versus students. Nigon didn't care that he wasn't any good at volleyball.

 

"Neither was Coach Miles," he said.

 

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OWH

 

Tim Miles spent the weekend in New Orleans, attending conventions, interviewing assistants, watching the nation's best teams, shooting the Big Easy breeze.

 

This is the Final Four, the epicenter of college basketball, home to every famous face in the sport.

 

The French Quarter is crammed so tight, a man can barely walk, much less get noticed. But when Tim Miles walks into a room, well, you'll see.

 

A coach once told Miles that he has one ear and two mouths. His trademark? Energy. His gift? The ability to coax a stranger to listen, then to believe.

 

He is 6-foot, 170 pounds. He wears glasses. He could pass for a grad student in computer science.

 

He is not a former player — at least not one good enough to play NAIA. He is not the fruit of a famous coaching tree — unless you count Northern State as famous. His winning percentage is halfway between ordinary and uninspired.

 

He is Nebraska's new basketball coach, an underdog for an underdog job.

 

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[Comish]

Grist for the nay-sayers............

[flatwaterfan]

Absolutely love it.

 

Reminds me of when I was a kid our coach had us play 8-man football instead of the normal 11-man practice. Wow what a blast. Was a lot of fun, reinforced a good positive attitude. It's a game it should be fun somewhere right?

 

Wow. Best story Dirk ever wrote. Hope it gets picked up by a national paper.

[HuskerFanChuck]

Both great articles. I think Dirk would be fantastic if they had him stick to personal interest stories. Without a doubt, his best pieces of work. This piece and his piece on Abdullah and Ron Brown in the Fall were both incredible and give a great deal of insight into the people he's talking about.

[T_O_Bull]

Where did all the crap about Miles not being a good recruiter come from?

T_O_B

G>B>R

[HuskerFanChuck]

TO - No idea. Heard that several times, and yet the people that seem to know the guy, and would know a good recruiter, seem to have glowing reviews of his recruiting abilities. I think we found a HUGE diamond in the rough, the more I hear about this guy. As important as family and his hometown in SD seem to be, it wouldn't surprise me at all that if Nebraska works well for him, that he may end up here for a LONG time. Would be nice if that would be the case.

[PaulCrewe]

Where did all the crap about Miles not being a good recruiter come from?

T_O_B

G>B>R

From the "hip crowd" that believes he will be recruiting the same style of athlete that he has where ever he has coached. The guy has adapted his ways at every stop he has made. But I am sure the hipsters are right and the guys Miles was getting at SW Minnesota State are just what he will be going after here at NU. Hell, they'd probably end up a hair more prodctive than some of the circus acts that have rolled into LIncoln the last couple of years though

[T_O_Bull]

I also wondered about the people who say NE will just be a stepping stone for him. He has really moved into his comfort zone. Colse to his hometown, how old are his parents, where do his siblings live? He also has two kids, Have to think they are middle school age or younger once they get into social circles in their HS it will be hard for him to leave and especially if he's winning. I think we've got the real deal here.

T_O_B

G>B>R

[TonyStalloni]

It will take this kind of energy and positive attitude to turn this program around. I'm going to relish every victory he has here at Nebraska. Whether it's on the court or on the recruiting trail. This may not even be the herdest job he has had in his coaching career. If he turns the program around he will be legend in Husker land.

[T_O_Bull]

It will take this kind of ene rgy and positive attitude to turn this program around. I'm going to relish every victory he has here at Nebraska. Whether it's on the court or on the recruiting trail. This may not even be the herdest job he has had in his coaching career. If he turns the program around he will be legend in Husker land.

 

His toughest was CSU. Had just two returning players and at one time didn't even have enough players to scrimidge.

T_O_B

G>B>R

[Nexus]

LJS

 

A messy locker room greeted Tim Miles for Friday's 7 a.m. workout.

 

The new Nebraska men's basketball coach evidently prefers a tidy environment; hence, some wind sprints ensued.

 

And then some bickering.

 

Miles, sharing the story with about 300 people at Friday's Husker Athletic Fund luncheon in Lincoln, didn't hear the exact words of one player's complaint.

 

But he heard enough.

 

"I just said, ‘How old are you?' I said I've been a head coach, this is going to be my 18th year, and you're 21?

 

So your mom was changing your diaper when I started head coaching," Miles said. "Just remember that. Don't tell me how to coach, don't come up with any good ideas because I've already been there. If you want some Wet Ones, we'll get you over there in the corner."

 

The crowd laughed.

 

"He quit talking," Miles said.

 

Hey, nobody said the transition phase to a new coach would be seamless.

 

Miles called it the vetting process.

 

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OWH

 

LINCOLN — Nebraska men's basketball coach Tim Miles had just ordered his players to run because of a messy locker room as part of a 7 a.m. workout Friday, so he was ready to deal with some grumpiness.

 

One Husker had the guts to say something. Miles immediately referenced his program-building résumé, which includes 17 seasons of head coaching experience.

 

"Your mom was changing your diaper when I started head coaching," Miles told the player. "Just remember that. Don't tell me how to coach. Don't come up with any real good ideas, because I've already been there."

 

The player had nothing to say after that.

 

"A good idea," Miles said.

 

These are the types of exchanges Miles is expecting the next few weeks as he works to get acquainted with Nebraska's roster. He's introducing his style, his personality and his expectations, hoping that the players are willing to adapt.

 

Friday's full-team workout was the third 40-minute session this week, a schedule that will continue until April 15. The Huskers are lifting four times a week, too.

 

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[flatwaterfan]

The only thing I worry about is that I hope he isn't too picky when it comes to recruiting. I would be okay with getting some players that are marginal students but great athletes because we have a great academic support system to help train them how to be good students just like the support system to train athletic skills.

[Nexus]

The only thing I worry about is that I hope he isn't too picky when it comes to recruiting. I would be okay with getting some players that are marginal students but great athletes because we have a great academic support system to help train them how to be good students just like the support system to train athletic skills.

 

I understand where you're coming from but I think Miles' approach will be similar to Pelini in that it's about finding the "right fit" character-wise among other things. I recall a Pelini quote saying something along the lines of, "Just because a kid is a great athlete doesn't necessarily mean he's a good fit at Nebraska." On the surface that might sound ridiculous, but in its proper context, it makes sense. It's a mentality trait the coaches are looking for that's part of their culture-building.

 

Can a kid be a great athlete and high character team player but struggle with academics? Absolutely. It's all about fit though. These coaches recognize it when they're interacting with prospects on the recruiting trail.