Report: Three names connected to Racer search

MBB: The search continues to to find a replacement for Steve Prohm

Ryan Miller just finished his fourth season as an assistant at Creighton. (Photo: Creighton Athletics)

ESPN is reporting Creighton Assistant Coach Ryan Miller, former Murray State Assistant Coach James Kane and Auburn Associate Head Coach Steven Pearl are among the leading candidates to become the next head coach of the Racers.

Prior to going to Creighton, Miller had coaching stops at Memphis, Pepperdine and New Mexico, and then was Associate Head Coach at Auburn, UNLV and TCU. He’s spent the last four years at Creighton working for Greg McDermott. Miller is the brother of Mike Miller, the former NBA player, who is now the agent for Ja Morant.

Kane, who got a public endorsement from Morant on Tuesday, spent six years at Murray State from 2011-17 working under Steve Prohm and Matt McMahon. He’s currently an assistant coach at Dayton.

Pearl, the son of Auburn Head Coach Bruce Pearl, has been at Auburn working for his dad since 2014. Pearl was promoted to Associate Head Coach in August of 2023.

There has been no comment from Murray State Director of Athletics Nico Yantko about the search, other than a statement he provided to WPSD-TV on Monday.

"We have been extremely diligent evaluating and talking with numerous candidates from all over the country over the past 48 hours," Yantko said in the statement. "Our goal, as with any head coach search, is to find a coach who can evaluate and develop talent, is a proven winner, is a relentless recruiter and can build positive relationships. The candidates that have already emerged in this process would all have an incredible impact on the program, and I am excited to continue and work around the clock to identify the next head men’s basketball coach for Murray State."

The transfer portal opens on Monday, March 24th, and you have to believe a coach will be in place before that date.