Sunday Chat is a weekly feature appearing in the Blade’s print and digital platforms each Sunday.
BOWLING GREEN — Curt Miller has plenty of fond memories from his time in Bowling Green.
He was grateful to add another one recently with a trip back to northwest Ohio.
A former Bowling Green State University women’s basketball coach who guided the program to historic success from 2001 to 2012, Miller returned to watch the Falcons face No. 1 South Carolina on Dec. 19 at the Stroh Center. Miller, the head coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, called it “a night that I’ll remember for a long, long time.”
Miller was recognized with former coach and fellow BGSU hall of famer Fran Voll during the game.
Miller went 258-92 at BGSU, including Mid-American Conference divisional titles and postseason appearances in each of his final eight seasons. The Falcons reached the NCAA tournament five times and became the first MAC team to reach the Sweet 16 in 2007.
Miller, who coached at Indiana for two seasons after BGSU, posted a 290-124 record at the college level and is 153-109 in eight seasons in the WNBA (seven with the Connecticut Sun). He is a two-time WNBA coach of the year as well (2017 and 2021).
The Blade caught up with Miller to talk about returning to Bowling Green, coaching Toledo native Zia Cooke on the Sparks, and his career.
The Blade: How exciting was it for you to be back in northwest Ohio at a place that means a lot to you?
Miller: “Always special to return to BG. Had an opportunity to meet with the new athletic director at BGSU [Derek van der Merwe] out in L.A., and love the direction of the sports teams, and BG remains so special to me. Obviously, hard to watch (former BGSU coach) Robyn [Fralick] leave after she had something really special started again in BG, but have known Fred [Chmiel] from afar for many, many years, and excited about the new era. Not often a mid-major can get the No. 1 team in the country on their home floor, so really wanted to be there to support the Falcons, and selfishly, it also gave me an opportunity to continue to scout for the upcoming draft and watch South Carolina. Very close with Dawn (Staley) through my involvement with USA Basketball during her time as the Olympic coach. Just a win-win for me all around, could work a little bit, but really a special return to BG and watch the Stroh filled to the rafters.”
The Blade: You got to watch the game and talk to the BGSU team afterward. What impressed you the most about this current Falcons’ team under coach Fred Chmiel?
Miller: “What I appreciated and shared with them in the locker room after the game was that there’s a great tradition at Bowling Green women’s basketball. Long before I coached there, there was special tradition under Fran Voll’s teams. So it’s rich in tradition, and it’s a very special place in northwest Ohio to play women’s basketball. The fan base is truly supportive. … I pointed out, with two minutes to go in that South Carolina game, they were significantly points down, the result had clearly been decided before then, and they were still diving on the floor for loose balls with two minutes to go in the game and diving into the bench to try to save a loose ball. The crowd recognized that, and I said ‘That’s Bowling Green to its finest’ in that they are going to be unbelievably supportive of the teams. It’s not always about the wins and losses, but if you’re playing the game the right way, and watching Bowling Green players dive on the floor when the result was long decided with two minutes to go in that game was a special thing to point out to them.”
The Blade: Zia Cooke was at the game, played in a lot of contests with the Sparks in her rookie season. What are your overall thoughts about Zia and what are you hoping to see from her in her second WNBA season?
Miller: “Zia is most importantly … a special person in that locker room, and I think you win with high-character players. It stood out from the moment that we started to interview her and have some pre-draft talks last year on what a special person Zia Cooke is. I’m going to be starting my 10th year in the WNBA — ninth as a head coach — and she had one of the best interviews and pre-draft conversations that I’ve had with any player. First and foremost, Zia is a special player and we’re very fortunate to have her on the Sparks. Obviously, rookie years come with highs and lows, and her big growth area is consistency and efficiency, and she knows that. We look forward to her growth here as she enters her second season. But what stood out that night was what true impact she had on northwest Ohio and basketball in northwest Ohio. I joked with her that she was actually more popular in the arena than I was returning. She had long lines down the aisles to get her autograph and to get pictures taken with her, and it’s just a credit to the type of prep career she had up in Toledo and the type of person that she is to have that kind of following now being gone from Toledo for over five years.”
The Blade: You’ve had a lot of success at different levels of your coaching career between college and the WNBA. What stood out the most about your time in Bowling Green?
Miller: “The people, the incredible coaches that I coached alongside of, the supportive administration, and a one-of-a-kind fan base. Between Bowling Green and Toledo, northwest [Ohio] is spoiled with the appreciation for girls basketball and women’s basketball. There’s tremendous fan bases between both teams, and that really stood out to me. Obviously, what I’m most proud of during my 11 years at BGSU, the nine straight 20-plus win seasons and eight straight champions, some type of MAC champion the last eight years of my time there. But what stood out the most was the consistency. The sustained success, as we like to say, year after year is really hard to do, especially when you have to endure graduation and endure injuries. Our sustained success is what made my time in Bowling Green so special to me because we were able to do it year in and year out. Being the first MAC team to ever go to the Sweet 16, those memories will live on for a long, long time.”
First Published December 31, 2023, 3:00 p.m.
