Wes Miller Interview

ESPN recently published a list of the top 40 college basketball coaches under 40 years old in our next guest top that lets it's of course UNCG's Wes Miller he's with us on sports of dryad coach.

First off, I hope everybody safe and we certainly appreciate the time. Secondly, what was your thought. When you saw that headline I mentioned Ella Piper have always you know the scary thing is amazing torts for you pretty quickly. Headline about Megan man 37. I am not that old.

Like I have that happen so quickly without looking up the flattering, I don't mean to minimize it very thankful and appreciative but I always felt funny when you get singled out as a coach for recognition like that should take an army of people to win a basketball game. I prefer it. We got will recognize the night. I think the only thing make me think about it.

All the guys you put or force over the last decade UNCG. I think it said a lot more about the success of our program. UNCG and anything else that I am grateful preferred being recognized on that note, you bring in a top 150 player into this recruiting class and got talent returning. Also, you don't have to face that Steve Forbes guy or Mike Young in the so con so how well do you think things are looking how well do you think it set up for this next year certainly excited about what we have returning not now.

We are currently optically dilute James Dickey, Kyra Galloway, maleic Matthey and those are note significant losses of all three guys were and are what we done for the last sample years we return everybody else and when we think the players in our program. Returning you know have already shown that they can play massive roles on the good team in college basketball. You know, obviously, Isaiah going to the draft process. The five-day Miller returns to school back another boost is with our returning players. We have a chance to pretty good and really excited about that group and we do have a you know it.

Another tremendous recruiting class last year's recruiting class as a whole may be our best coming to the door on that that we had and and and this year's right there you know is not even another step forward gently, get a lot of attention nationally fixate no place multiple positions can really shoot the ball kitten Kansas City ever had ranked in the top 150 nationally in any recruiting you major recruiting service so networks worksite works out about what we have coming back were excited that we have come in looking. How does one get out coach basketball again, hopefully you can start working with them the sum, the thought process now. I want to talk about a shift that I've noticed in the last 10 years and the way that coaches have handled their players a common expression used to be. You gotta drown out the noise and don't follow what's happening on the Internet don't follow what's happening on talk radio like this, like this show here on television, listening to ESPN or whatever when it involves your team but in recent years with with things being so assessable on social media there.

There seems to be this understanding that that's is something you have to adapt to.

Now you gotta tell players how to deal with things that you might read.

Of course you were mentioned with the Wake Forest coaching search, and I wonder how you handled that situation because while you might be somebody who can easily drown out what's true and what isn't your coaches and players are also affected by something that might happen there.

So how exactly did you handle that when your name was prominently mentioned in the coaching search, such as that. Yeah, I think you hit on something that so much bigger earth, and that trying to figure out you know how to manage this age or in or people get information from so many different outlets right and that the phone the phone number on right now have multiple outlets that I can receive information on all throughout the day and I think you know were trying to be on the same page as a group and at the organization you know how we communicate how we manage that is really important and so you know we we do what we do is we do try to be really direct with our players all the time people are going to say things that we can't control word.

Let's make sure that we have a really open environment that is if you're ever concerned about something that there's ever anything that there is ever some kind of elephant in the room you know let's let's bring it up within our locker room in our meeting and let's just aired out talk about we try to have that kind of defect kind of an open note mentality within our program open line of communication. I think one thing for you. All my gosh called me and asked me you not. I think they feel comfortable enough in their parent psychological that really open dialogue about that and honestly after Saturday or Sunday with things we have the Internet.

I didn't we talk about the rest of the week because I think they felt confident where I was with it and they knew that they had a question they call me directly on the word out with me that on twitter or Instagram or whatever our Wes Miller with the seer from UNC Greensboro head basketball coach will talking about hopefully wanting to hit the court sometime soon.

What's the latest you been told by administration there and also what's being dispersed by the Southern conference so I think you know the first thing it we don't really know you know what were waiting to hear it.

Information just like you guys are on leave and told anything within you have entered a blade comes out that the players can use our facility starting on June 1, but what people realize now that there are so many different dynamics to getting kids back in the gym on campus. We had to stay within state guidelines with coronavirus we have to stay within University guidelines UNC system guideline for trying to kinda gather all that information.

Make sure were worse they were staying within that is kind of our process for just letting our kids back in again and in the NCAA hasn't yet come out that when we can work with our players again were hoping July say that I have any information that anybody else that will befall so many moving parts were hoping that by July.

Our kids are using our gym again that were in some fashion were coaching him but some of it's a little bit wishful thinking at the moment.

I think there's one more thing I wanted to get to in the wake basketball front, you actually had a ton of battles with Steve Forbes at East Tennessee State so somebody you had to prepare for the teams he put on the floor. Coach Miller what makes him and his teams different from the others. You had to face in the southern conference the last few years. Steve, a terrific basketball coach and just battling with them. You know our teams battling his teams you come to respect those you note, you can respect them so much over the last three or four or five years. I think you'll do a tremendous job Wake Forest.

I think when I think about the teams the state you are the first thing I think about is how they defend you know that they play with great effort. There you know that David was always a commitment to defense. They were always one of the best two or three deep teams in our league, if not the best, most years they rebound the basketball well teams don't turn the ball over, they play with discipline the initial things that come to mind, but what I really think about how hard all those damn games or we detect an absolute battle. Yet we are fortunate to be on the right side, we were on the wrong side of quite a few of them to but certainly will miss those battles moving forward. But his assistant JJ got a job there so I you. I'm sure he'll discount to keep it going but but they did a terrific job at East Tennessee State and no doubt my mind that people do think that job Wake Forest. Usually when we catch up. II usually get an update on what's going on with your former Tar Heel guys in that in that group text that you have so I found what Ty said on Instagram I put it online and then it just blew up talking about Coach Williams and all that you are a teammate with with Ty Lawson.

So what you make of that. You know I got one of those things that we talked about it early would just all these different media outlets now write all the social media you know I number one I'm not judgmental yet and I'm not can it be in the infinitely judgmental right now. I haven't been in contact with. I recently and so what I've no idea going through something was better without a rational matter should people put things on their social media accounts all the time and then regret that right into it.

To my knowledge, he taken it down. Then he asked on so I think on some we know, for which I teach our players this. Be careful what you put up there, but because now it for the world to see right Eve you don't realize how quickly things can spread my initial reaction to the hook type okay you know okay not going through something. I hope he's okay and in my second reaction is I don't really my heart believe that health I feel that I never got that while he was in school. There probably play with them for a year. He loved North Carolina.

He had a great relationship with coach Williams what they did together is incredible. I think you left there on great terms so I think it's probably a little bit blown out of proportion and I think for me to have a strong look in your comment on it. I don't only know I thought what everybody else all but it didn't it didn't sit right with me and that he didn't feel accurate to me.I hope. Hope that's okay. You know I think it's a good lesson why you just don't post things you know you you should be more thought out that Social media can be dangerous. Wes, have you been able to get out much hit the golf course anything like that during the pandemic. I played a little more golf than normal week. We tried to work Josh we you know we we do want to face time in communicating with our players daily and we need a bath every day. You know it's been a great time to visit over soon with other coaches and try to grow and learn all the stuff is probably born your listeners, but it's been a lot busier that for us and I think people realize even know were not coach and but the one thing I have done to get outside and play will call that that's the part played more often. The last two months I have would have, your otherwise I like when out when I get a chance. I like the round ball and try to be competitive on it but might my golf game. Unfortunately still think anybody plays golf can relate to that could be Tom Brady and actually have a child moving from one house to the other. This weekend I didn't have a chance to watch it but I heard a good place to hold he hold out for something hundred and 50 yard shot. Betty whole daylight. You know I would mind doing Wes, it's just good to hear your voice man and I'm glad things are going well. Stay well and will will catch up sometime soon. Thanks for doing it.

Thanks for always, always, of course, that's Wes Miller he's on twitter at coach Wes Miller from UNC Greensboro lot of interesting stuff to get to with that up next. Why I gained a lot of respect. Strangely, for Tom Brady this weekend. Keep it on the drive