MONTVILLE, Conn. — After the Connecticut Sun's dominant regular season, head coach Curt Miller was named WNBA Coach of the Year on Tuesday. While every journey to the professional ranks is different, his journey started at a very young age.
Miller actually started coaching his senior year in high school when the middle school girls' team needed a head coach and couldn't find a teacher to fill the spot. After that experience, he was hooked.
"It was that moment that solidified that I really wanted to try to chase coaching as a profession," he said.
And chase, he did.
Miller coached women's college basketball for 23 years with stops at Syracuse, Bowling Green, and Indiana University. While he was an assistant with the Orange, he crossed paths with legendary UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and associate head coach Chris Dailey. As their relationship grew over the years, it was Auriemma's recommendation that helped steer Miller to Connecticut in 2016.
"His endorsement to get the front office to look at me just started a process," Miller said. "We really hit it off, and I was in the right place at the right time."
As the Sun continues their quest for a WNBA title as the top overall seed, Miller hopes to have an impact off the floor as well – as the only openly gay male head coach in professional basketball.
"My legacy I hope to leave is for the youth - that young gay male that is struggling in middle school, struggling in high school in that locker room...I hope that they can look to me as someone that's thrived on the sidelines," said Miller.
You can watch our full conversation below.
Nkwa Asonye is a sports reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at nasonye@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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