Exclusive! Nico Yantko on Hiring Ryan Miller

Murray State AD Wants Sustainable Success

(St. Louis, MO) – In one of his first interviews after hiring Ryan Miller to be the next Murray State head coach, Director of Athletics Nico Yantko tells Valley Hoops Insider why he’s convinced the Creighton assistant coach is the right man for the job. Yantko’s determination to see Racers’ basketball build sustainable success is evident.

Miller comes to Murray State after a long and decorated career as an assistant at numerous successful programs. Most recently, the 49-year-old Miller has worked with Greg McDermott at Creighton. The Bluejays are currently prepping for a first round game in the NCAA Tournament.

Some of his previous stops include TCU, Memphis, Auburn and others. He is routinely seen as an elite recruiter and evaluator of talent.

Making the Decision

While Yantko lauded the long term investment that former coach Steve Prohm brought to the program, he felt it was time to make a change. The radically changing college basketball landscape was a key factor in that decision. Yantko was looking for a highly motivated recruiter, who could identify, develop and retain talented players.

 

Miller has spent the last four seasons on the Greg McDermott’s staff at Creighton where he spent time as the ‘defensive coordinator’ and shifted to become the ‘offensive coordinator’. His grasp of the high-powered Bluejay offense and what it takes to be an elite defense will serve him well at Murray State.

Yantko says Miller went to Omaha rather than taking previous head coaching job opportunities so that he could continue to learn and grow in his profession.

 

The Murray State Director of Athletics says ‘success leaves clues’. Former McDermott assistants have thrived while working with the Creighton head coach and some have been wildly successful in their own right. Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson worked with McDermott at UNI. West Virginia and former Drake coach Darian DeVries spent roughly 20 years at Creighton before taking over at Drake. High Point’s Alan Huss is a former Creighton assistant.

Yantko says he’s confident he found the right coach because of Miller’s individual qualities, but is encouraged that McDermott’s assistants’ track records have been outstanding.

 

 

While Yantko has landed his desired coach, he is also bullish on the future of Murray State athletics. The Racer fan base is loyal and has high expectations. He says the Murray State fans have a sense of family, community and passion that is second to none. Murray State’s transition into the Missouri Valley Conference hasn’t been easy, but he says the fans have remained loyal.

 

Nico Yantko on Resources and Flexibility

Yantko has been quoted as saying Murray State is in the upper echelon of Valley’s financial structures. 2024 saw Yantko’s team raise over $21 million and they are on the front end of the redevelopment of the CFSB Center. While revenue sharing is on the college athletic’s horizon, Yantko says athletic departments have to be forward thinking and flexible.

He doesn’t believe Racer Athletics has to compete financially with the Auburns of this world, but they must be competitive or near the top of the MVC’s financial food chain. Facility renovations will help grow the program’s financial base.

 

Talent evaluation and “keeping up (or surpassing) the Joneses” is always on the mind of a progressive leader like Yantko. He notes, the athletic departments that can adjust with each of the current changes in basketball landscape are the ones that will succeed.

Hiring Ryan Miller is a key piece to this puzzle. As a proven recruiter, Yantko believes his new coach can find the right players and also manage roster make-up and financial considerations.

 

While Murray State’s women’s team is participating in the NCAA Tournament and Creighton is in the Big Dance, don’t expect an introductory press conference. But be assured, Nico Yantko and Ryan Miller are excited for that day to come and for the new head coach to get to work building a staff and recruiting players.

Head to Valley Hoops Insider Podcasts to hear our entire conversation. We talk about the women’s team, the difficulty of the decisions around Steve Prohm and more about Miller’s background.

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