Taking the world by storm, Los Angeles Sparks’ head coach, Curt Miller, is set to shine this upcoming 2024 WNBA season. It is going to be Miller’s second season as the head coach of the West Coast team. Since last season, with Miller coming along as an upgrade on the previous coach, the team has seen several transitions. “I’m not a good loser, but I’m a good builder,” were Miller’s words he said while grinning as the Sparks first-year head coach.

Since then, Miller has been moving and patiently building his team to conquer the league. With a great draft night for the Sparks this year, things are expected to blow up in the City of Angels.

From an NCAA assistant coach to a WNBA head coach

Miller is undoubtedly the kind of coach who has been out and around the full circle, coaching student-athletes straight to the pro league. He started off his journey as an assistant coach for Cleveland State and worked there for 3 good years. Then he transferred to Syracuse and worked for another 4 years. Further, he took his coaching to Colorado State and helped the program to an 81-20 overall record during his time there.

The awaited transition came to his life when he became the head coach of the Bowling Green program. In his 11-year tenure there, he amassed a record of 258-92, including the Mid-American Conference record of 135-41. Eight years in a row (2005-2012) Miller won the conference regular season titles. Out of those 8 seasons, he was rewarded MAC Coach of the Year for 6. Coming to 2006 was undoubtedly one of Miller’s greatest seasons as he led the Falcons to a 31-4 record, including a berth to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

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Miller had various proposals for contract extensions with Bowling Green following their 2005 accomplishments. So, he included a ‘dream clause’. Miller made this list, including a few of his personal destination jobs. Interestingly, one of the names on that list was the Indiana Hoosiers.

In 2012, the head coaching position for women’s basketball became vacant there. What did Miller do then? He applied for the job and got it. He signed a six-year contract paying him $275,000 per year. However, his desire to work at one of his dream destinations was short-lived as he quit in July 2014 owing to health and family concerns. That’s when he moved to the professional league.

When Curt Miller came to LA

Curt Miller set the first stone in his foundation with the W when he became an assistant with the LA Sparks in 2015. He spent the year having the taste and observing what kind of talent was needed in the league at the time. Returning to his head coaching turf, Miller joined forces with the Connecticut Sun in December 2015. In his second season with the team, he was awarded the honors of WNBA Coach of the Year and WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year.

As the Sun’s head coach, Miller was the first openly gay, male coach who has worked in both college and professional basketball. His principles of self-love and self-acceptance have made him a forever favorite of his team and fans alike. “My legacy down the stretch of my career is no longer wins and championships. I really have transitioned into my legacy. I do want to use my platform. I do want to use my visibility and representation as a gay male so that you can not only reach the pinnacle of pro sports as a gay male – you can thrive at it,” said Miller.

His dedication led the team to the 2019 WNBA Finals. However, they lost to the Washington Mystics. In 2021, the team finished the regular season top of the standings with a record of 26-6. The third time wasn’t a charm for him as they again lost to the Chicago Sky in the Semifinals. Despite the defeat, Miller was honored with the WNBA Coach of the Year Award for the second time.

Something needed to be changed as the team again lost in the 2022 WNBA Finals. Miller finally decided to part ways and went to venture off with another WNBA team. He headed back to LA in the off-season that year. It was a significant move by Miller as he played the role of GM for the Sun while he was their head coach.

Breaking the silence on this move, Curt Miller said, “I’m ready to work alongside our owners, players, and the entire organization to help build a team that will compete for WNBA championships and make our fans and partners proud. It’s a privilege to hold this position, and I’m committed to adding to the incredible basketball legacy of this city and franchise,” in a press release, announcing his head coaching position with the franchise. Now, diving into a restructure, Miller is set to have a bold season ahead with dominant players present on the roster.