Tim Miles was selected as San Jose State’s men’s basketball head coach after the team’s former coach was fired in March 2020, prompting a nationwide search.
Miles said he’s planning to push SJSU players’ limits to make them the best they can be during an April 7 news conference.
“We certainly need to take pride in ourselves and build confidence in ourselves,” Miles said. “We’re going to do that with the San Jose State guys.”
Miles has returned to coaching after a two-season hiatus, during which he worked as a TV analyst for FOX Sports.
He coached the Colorado State University and the University of Nebraska basketball teams for a total of 24 years prior to his media
work. He earned multiple awards and secured nearly 400 career wins. Miles has replaced former head coach Jean Prioleau who coached from 2017-20. He left SJSU with a cumulative
20-93 (8-62 MW) record.
Point guard Trey Smith and forward Michael Ofoegbu said they were disappointed to see Prioleau let go and they enjoyed their time with him as their coach.
“He gave me the opportunity to play college basketball on a scholarship, which is not an opportunity that very many kids get,” Ofoegbu said through Zoom. “You know, there’s millions of kids that play basketball, so I’m really grateful for him for that.”
While Smith and Ofoegbu expressed their gratitude for what Prioleau did for them, they also said they’re ready to see where Miles’ coaching takes the team.
“He seems very passionate and very energetic, like he wants to turn things around here,” Ofoegbu said. “He seems like he’s gonna invest his time and energy into making sure we’re as successful as we can be.”
Miles’ plan for the team consists of what he calls a “GATA,” or “Get After Their Asses” strategy. Through new player recruitment, learning from past mistakes and building confidence, wants to create a “scrappy team” that never compromises itself.
He also said an important facet will be building trust and respect between him and the team.
Miles said he understands the importance of student-athletes’ finite amount of time to play and plans on making that time count.
“To play college basketball you have five years and four seasons,” Miles said. “I want that special experience to really be great for these guys.”
Miles’ ultimate goal is to mold SJSU’s basketball team into winning big games and reverse the poor reputation it has gained.
His track record with the University of Nebraska shows this is possible. In 2014, just two seasons after he was hired, he led the Cornhuskers to their first NCAA tournament
in 16 seasons.
Smith and Ofoegbu said they’re both hopeful for a better season and they’re excited to get to know Miles better.
“It’s his first year with all of us, but no one likes to lose,” Smith said. “If we’re all coming into this with the mindset that we’re gonna prepare and play with the expectation of winning, that’s really it.”
