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Former Tar Heel Wes Miller joins UNCG staff
GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNC Greensboro men's basketball coach Mike Dement named Wes Miller to the post of assistant coach on his staff on Wednesday.
Miller fills the staff vacancy created when Rod Jensen resigned to take the head coaching position at the College of Idaho last month. Yesterday, Dement announced that Corey Gipson was being promoted into the associate head coach position that Jensen had held.
Miller, 27, is no stranger to the state of North Carolina, having played three seasons at North Carolina and spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Elon and High Point. A native of Charlotte, Miller also ran his own basketball camps in Charlotte and Greensboro for two summers.
In three seasons as a player at North Carolina, Miller helped the Tar Heels to the national championship in 2005, two Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championships and one ACC Tournament title. Miller was team captain as a senior in 2006-07, leading UNC to 31 wins and the NCAA Elite 8 as well as the ACC regular season title, ACC Tournament title and a final national ranking of No. 3.
As a junior, Miller shot 44.1 percent from the three-point line, which was seventh-best in a single season in the UNC record book. His 64 treys that season ranked eighth in the ACC. Miller earned the team's Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player awards that season, as well.
"We are excited to have Wes joining our staff," said Dement. "He brings immediate knowledge of our league, having spent time at Elon, and recruiting contacts across the state, having grown up in Charlotte, playing collegiately for UNC and having coached at neighboring Elon and High Point the last two seasons.
"He brings to the floor the knowledge and experience of a student-athlete that performed at the highest of levels. In addition, his personality as a player is reflected in the way he teaches the game and the work ethic he exhibits in recruiting. Wes has played for and worked with some of the finest coaches in the game and we expect him to bring that knowledge and experience to our staff.
Wes will be responsible for administration in all phases of the program, and will specifically be focused on recruiting in North Carolina and in prep school programs nationally. Naturally, with his outstanding past experience, he will work closely to further develop our guards."
A fan favorite at UNC, Miller authored a book entitled The Road to Blue Heaven, which was published as a diary of his experiences as a North Carolina basketball player. In addition to his success on the floor, Miller excelled off the court, earning ACC Academic Honor Roll recognition and the UNC Athletic Director's Scholar Athlete-Award. He earned his degree in political science from North Carolina in 2007.
Upon his graduation from North Carolina, Miller played one season of professional basketball for the London Capitals of the British Basketball League, where he averaged 19.6 points per game to rank eighth in the league.
Miller was a prep standout at the New Hampton School in New Hampshire. He earned a scholarship to James Madison University, where he played one season before transferring to North Carolina to become a walk-on for Roy Williams' squad.
Miller began his coaching career as an assistant at Elon in 2008-09 under Ernie Nestor. He moved over to High Point last season under fellow Tar Heel alumn Scott Cherry.
Miller will assume his duties this week.
TRANSACTIONS:
UNC Greensboro - Named Wes Miller assistant men's basketball coach.
- UNCG -
