The surprising, seemingly out-of-nowhere decision Brandon Miller made on Oct. 2 has college coach colleagues seriously questioning whether he'll ever be on Butler's bench again.
Citing unspecified medical issues, Miller took a leave of absence from his post as Butler's coach 50 days ago.
A report from the Indianapolis Star's Gregg Doyel shares information from unnamed coaches. Coaches who reportedly told Doyel, in confidence and off the record, that they doubt Miller will ever return to Butler.
To a man, they all say they are hearing the same thing: That Miller will not return this season, and if he's not back this season he won't be back at all. The timetable is fluid until it hits a concrete wall near the end of December, when the federally mandated 12 weeks of Miller's leave – courtesy of the Family and Medical Leave Act – expire. Unless Miller has told Butler he will return by then, his federal protection will expire, and most likely so will his position as Butler's head coach.
Miller was on the recruiting trail over the summer. Others have said they've seen him about Indianapolis since the Oct. 2 news. It remains a mystery, and it's giving Butler an uncertain start to a season that's, at the very least, seen good returns with two wins and no losses to date.
"At this point I don't feel comfortable getting into specifics," current Butler interim coach Chris Holtmann told the Star. "Thanks for understanding."
But the report states Miller's been out of the loop even with close friends in the business, and his disappearance in that regard has been unsettling. Even Butler athletic director Barry Collier isn't quite certain what will come next, at least not publicly.
Miller is entitled to his privacy, especially regarding personal matters that relate to his health. But this has become an awkward march for the program he still represents, and in the coming month it seems inevitable that either more information will come out or Butler will have to make public notice of what it will do next.
