ACU March Madness Hero Reggie Miller Returns to Coach
4/9/2026 4:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Abilene Christian head men's basketball coach Brette Tanner has announced the hiring of former Wildcat player Reggie Miller as an assistant coach.
Miller played for ACU from 2019-22 and was a starting guard on the 2021 Wildcat team which won the Southland Conference and defeated Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Miller followed then-ACU head coach Joe Golding to UTEP and climbed the coaching ladder, spending two years as a graduate assistant before being promoted to assistant coach in 2024.
"The timing of this move was right," said Miller. "More importantly, [coach] Tanner is family. I know what's expected and the culture here, what we're trying to get back to. I did something special here, and now I'm coming back on the other side of things which is totally different from being a player. I'm excited."
At UTEP, Miller focused on player development, relationship building, and, of course, defense – the hallmark of Brette Tanner's teams. The Miners finished 3rd in Conference USA in steals per game (7.6), and 2nd in turnovers forced per game (12.7) in 2025-26. UTEP had back-to-back 18-win seasons from 2023-25, including an appearance in the championship game of the CUSA Tournament.
"I worked a lot with the point guards – decision making, having a feel for the game, good shots versus bad shots, time and pace – all of those things they can do to make the team better. It's more about what's better for the team than it is about yourself as a point guard."
Miller now reunites with Tanner and Ted Crass, who were assistants during Miller's playing career at ACU.
"He's probably going to hold me to a really high standard early on, and as he should to bring the best out of me," said Miller about now being a coach on Tanner's staff. "As much as we talk about the 53-52 win over Texas [in 2021], that was five years ago. It's not doing anything for us right now. We've got to be like that team with toughness, competitiveness, high IQ, make others better, communicate, adapt, and then you have to write your own story."
A native of Houston, Miller played in 96 games at ACU, including starting each game over his past two seasons. He ranks 4th in the program's Division I era with 270 career assists and 6th with 158 steals. He had 70 swipes in 2021-22, which is tied with Payten Ricks for the most in an ACU season.
"I'm excited," said Miller. "I'm ready to get in with these dudes and get some guys in here and get this thing turned around in 10 months. That's my goal."
He was on the 2021 Southland Conference All-Defensive Team and also landed on the league's All-Tournament Team. Furthermore, he was voted the Co-Defensive Player of the Year by Dave Campbell's Texas Basketball for the 2020-21 campaign.
Miller also previously played at Seward County Community College from 2018-19 and Texas State from 2017-18. At Seward County, he helped lead the team to a Region VI Championship in the NJCAA tournament.
He graduated from ACU with a bachelor's degree in liberal arts and earned his master's in leadership studies from UTEP in 2024.
Miller played for ACU from 2019-22 and was a starting guard on the 2021 Wildcat team which won the Southland Conference and defeated Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Miller followed then-ACU head coach Joe Golding to UTEP and climbed the coaching ladder, spending two years as a graduate assistant before being promoted to assistant coach in 2024.
"The timing of this move was right," said Miller. "More importantly, [coach] Tanner is family. I know what's expected and the culture here, what we're trying to get back to. I did something special here, and now I'm coming back on the other side of things which is totally different from being a player. I'm excited."
At UTEP, Miller focused on player development, relationship building, and, of course, defense – the hallmark of Brette Tanner's teams. The Miners finished 3rd in Conference USA in steals per game (7.6), and 2nd in turnovers forced per game (12.7) in 2025-26. UTEP had back-to-back 18-win seasons from 2023-25, including an appearance in the championship game of the CUSA Tournament.
"I worked a lot with the point guards – decision making, having a feel for the game, good shots versus bad shots, time and pace – all of those things they can do to make the team better. It's more about what's better for the team than it is about yourself as a point guard."
Miller now reunites with Tanner and Ted Crass, who were assistants during Miller's playing career at ACU.
"He's probably going to hold me to a really high standard early on, and as he should to bring the best out of me," said Miller about now being a coach on Tanner's staff. "As much as we talk about the 53-52 win over Texas [in 2021], that was five years ago. It's not doing anything for us right now. We've got to be like that team with toughness, competitiveness, high IQ, make others better, communicate, adapt, and then you have to write your own story."
A native of Houston, Miller played in 96 games at ACU, including starting each game over his past two seasons. He ranks 4th in the program's Division I era with 270 career assists and 6th with 158 steals. He had 70 swipes in 2021-22, which is tied with Payten Ricks for the most in an ACU season.
"I'm excited," said Miller. "I'm ready to get in with these dudes and get some guys in here and get this thing turned around in 10 months. That's my goal."
He was on the 2021 Southland Conference All-Defensive Team and also landed on the league's All-Tournament Team. Furthermore, he was voted the Co-Defensive Player of the Year by Dave Campbell's Texas Basketball for the 2020-21 campaign.
Miller also previously played at Seward County Community College from 2018-19 and Texas State from 2017-18. At Seward County, he helped lead the team to a Region VI Championship in the NJCAA tournament.
He graduated from ACU with a bachelor's degree in liberal arts and earned his master's in leadership studies from UTEP in 2024.
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