Spider Exclusive with Jim Miller

For my last column this year, I felt it would be best to reflect on 2010-11 University of Richmond sports in its entirety. The problem with that idea is that I'm not the right guy to tell you. I can't tell you how amazing it was to see women's tennis win an Atlantic 10 championship or even football win its first game back on campus, because I wasn't there to see it (wondering how I got this job?). So instead of me trying to bullshit about things I don't know, I did the next best thing. I talked to the head honcho of UR sports: Athletic Director Jim Miller.

Question: 2010-2011 University of Richmond Spider Athletics: give me one word you would use to describe this year:

Jim Miller: Exciting. From the opening of the new stadium on campus to the basketball season. We've already won 5 conference championships. That's the most we've ever won in a single year. We're up over 40 in the last 10 years. All the way around, its been a really good year athletically and competitively.

Q: I've been paying a lot of attention to NBA Post-Season awards this year. This includes MVP who will probably be Derrick Rose, Coach of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year. Who would you give MVP to for UR athletics this year?

JM: I think MVP would have to be Kevin Anderson. I mean Justin Harper played great and may be a 1st round draft pick, but with college basketball you need to have good guards.

Q: How about for Coach of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year?

JM: It's hard for me with probably the best basketball season in the history of the school to not pick Chris [Mooney]. We had women's basketball go its third straight postseason play, Latrell [Scott] took a tough spot with the injuries and still had a good season, so we won 5 conference championships. Women's tennis has won 3 in a row now and I think 8 of the last 9 years. Matt Barany with women's swimming has won 9 out of the last 10 years. We've had a lot of great performances but I think COY just because of the notoriety and publicity of it would have to be Chris [Mooney]. For DOY, I guess you could argue Martin Parker or Eric McBride on the football side.

Q: I think I agree with you on both there. Were you ever afraid of losing Mooney or were you confident he'd stick around?

JM: I'm pretty different from most because I don't worry about that. I mean coaches kind of get put in a different category than regular people. When people say how long do you think he'll stay, and I say like any other employee, when a job comes along that he thinks is better for himself and his family, he'll probably leave; probably anyone on campus would. I think the job here is a good job. He can win, he's very well compensated and I think he likes it here and his family likes it here.

Q: You talked about Harper and KA a little bit. What do you think of their chances going on to the next level?

JM: Well what NBA scouts say, which is probably a little more important than what I think, is that Justin might be late first round, early second round so he's almost for sure getting drafted. Still a lot will depend on the combine when they go to Chicago. Right now, I think KA with his size will have a tough time. He'll probably get a chance to try out somewhere. He has a good chance to show what he can do...which is really all you can hope for; just an opportunity. If he doesn't play in the NBA, I'm sure he could go overseas. When we were overseas, they just couldn't stop him. If he doesn't catch on with an NBA team, I'm sure he'll be able to do that if he wants to.

Q: The NFL Draft's coming up. Justin Rogers and Martin Parkers names have been thrown around . Where do you think they'll be going?

JM: I keep hearing in the top 5 rounds. Again, the main thing is that they get the opportunity to go out and perform. The world of professional athletics is pretty clear cut with no personalities involved and no other issues. It's just can you play or not? Can you play at that level or not? As long as they have the opportunity to show what they can do.

Q: Do you think that other sports get enough recognition on campus? Sports like XC who both teams won the A10s and womens tennis recently?

JM: Probably not but I think it's the case everywhere. That's just the way it is. I think we do our best to recognize that and to push the newspapers and the media to cover that. I think of the 41 conference championships we've won, 30 have been women's sports. I think we've won, in our 10 years in the A-10, in the sports we compete in, we've won more conference championships than anyone by far.

Q: What is your guys position with the Men's varsity club lacrosse team right now? Any chance they become varsity soon?

JM: Right now we aren't really involved with it. They're registered under Recreation and Wellness and there are some fundraising activities going on to see the level of support for the program. I think that the athletic department is doing a new strategic plan now and hopefully that will be approved by the board of trustees on Friday, April 22nd. The status of that sport I think is kind of a "wait and see" to see if it whether its going to a varsity NCAA sport on campus or remain a club sport for a while.

Q: When I transferred to Richmond, I remember reading in the Collegian about a lack of school spirit and people leaving the football games earlier. What do you think of the school spirit here?

JM: I think it's good. We average 500 students a game when classes were in session and for a student body of only 3000, that's a huge percentage. I know there were issues with the student seating for football. It wasn't intentional but I guess those kind of ended up becoming the worst seats in the house. We're switching those around so the suns not in peoples faces and they can see the scoreboard and everything. I think it's been positive support and the students have been great. There's been great sendoffs for the teams. I think it's been great.

Q: I did a little research on you before this meeting...

JM: Didn't come across any jail time did you?...

Q: Nothing like that. I didn't look too hard, but I came across your Richmond blog from 2008. Your last post talks about how its hard to differentiate between being a fan and an athletic director. Is it still hard for you?

JM: As far as a blog goes, you have to be very careful to be funny or say things. Humor has a very fine line between being offensive to some and people could misrepresent it in sports. It got to be where I couldn't say anything interesting on the blog.

As far as being a fan, it's really hard. You know the coaches and you know many of the players and you want them to be successful. It's almost like you're a parent out there watching the game and its uncomfortable b/c you want them to do well. Sometimes theres too much riding on the game. You win this game, you're in the NCAA tournament. You lose it and youre not. There's so much riding on the difference between winning and losing and you want them to be successful so its hard to be able to just sit back and enjoy the games.

Q: Do you try to get out to all the games?

JM: Generally for all the home events, for many times I'm probably very seldom at the entire game. I'm out for the baseball games, for a few innings or out to soccer and out there for a little bit, or field hockey, or lacrosse. I don't go to every game but I try to regularly get out and see several games. This year hasn't been as good, but I try to get out to an away game for everyone also. Also, there are other administrators who travel with teams, especially for championships.

Q: You went to Old Dominion and played baseball and basketball there? Was it a lot more common to play two sports back then?

JM: Probably.

Q: The Becca Wanns of the world are a dying breed?

JM: Yeah (laughing). You don't see it very much anymore. That probably just means I wasn't really good at either. If you're really good at one of them now, you probably just want do that.

Q: Any adult league for you these days?

JM: No. Just some golf here and there.

Q: Is it hard to watch us play ODU? Any split loyalties?

JM: No loyalties to ODU. Not really, no.