'Pretty shocking': Xavier fans react to news of head coach Sean Miller heading to University of Texas
News of Sean Miller leaving Xavier for Texas is leaving fans in shock, but it's something they've dealt with before.
Miller left the Musketeers for Arizona more than 15 years ago before returning in 2022.
"I feel like we've been betrayed almost by, like, a close family member," said Xavier freshman Thomas Jordin.
Less than a week ago, the mood was much different for Xavier fans as they celebrated a win against the University of Texas.
Now, the Musketeers have just lost something to the team that just a week ago lost to them.
News that Miller was heading to Texas was confirmed by WLWT on Sunday, just two days after a season-ending loss against Illinois in the men's March Madness tournament.
Many fans expressed disbelief and anger over the decision.
"He said a lot of good things about Xavier, and so that's really, for me, what it is like. We felt like kind of an emotional bond with him," said Xavier sophomore David Wheler.
Now, many fans are wondering what this means for next season.
"I think it's a real bummer. The team has been on track with the success of the last couple years. I think it looked really good, and I think this is just going to beat down the culture of the team. They were starting to get something in line there, things were moving smoothly," said fan Ian Shcraft.
Though this feels to some like a setback, there's still hope here that the team will rebound.
"There's still a lot of excitement to be had here, and there's still hope for the future here for us," said sophomore at Xavier, Ben Eckstein.
For fans, this feels like deja vu all over again. Miller still had four years left on his current contract with Xavier. Because of this, it's something that many said they never saw coming.